Post by Admin on Aug 27, 2020 20:09:07 GMT
Russian figure skating legend Irina Slutskaya has talked about one of the most dramatic moments in her sporting career: the 2002 Olympic Games in Salt Lake City – when she was denied a chance to win the coveted gold.
In an interview with RT Sport, the two-time world champion talked about the rise and fall of her success, life after retirement, and coping with post-career depression.
In 2002, an uncompromised battle for the Olympic crown in ladies’ skating was expected to unfold between Slutskaya and the US idol, Michelle Kwan, who was fiercely supported by the home crowd. But to the great disappointment of the US team, pre-tournament favorite Kwan failed to deliver a faultless performance, making two errors that didn’t go unnoticed by the judges.
Slutskaya demonstrated immaculate skating and could have taken gold, if not for the strange decision taken by the judges, who preferred instead to crown another US skater, 16-year-old Sarah Hughes, who made her rise from fourth place after the short program.
The results in the women’s event caused an uproar, with many pundits accusing the judges of being biased and deliberately giving the gold medal to the US team despite Hughes’ jumps being clearly under-rotated.
“My tears were the only logical reaction to the Salt Lake City Olympics. Of course, I knew beforehand that I wouldn’t be allowed to win there – it was all about politics. But, undoubtedly, it was extremely unfair, because, according to all the criteria, I definitely won at those Games,” the former skater told RT Sport.
“It’s more than unpleasant: you’ve been working hard for so many years to get ready for the Olympics. And then you come to the ice knowing that 90 per cent of the audience is against you. You can feel it with all your fibers. It was painful and unfair [not to receive gold]. But, as the years go by, I’ve realized this loss was a drop in the ocean. Olympic medals are not the most important things in life,” she added.
“Real life starts after retirement. You may think you’ve achieved everything: world recognition, financial stability, a huge army of fans, but after leaving your sport, you face problems that really matter. And it scares you a lot, because, if you’re in trouble, it doesn’t matter whether you’re an Olympic champion or not. We’re all equal in the face of problems,” Slutskaya said.
“The most important things in life are health, a close-knit family, kids, and doing work you love and that brings you joy for many years. I have all of that and I’m absolutely happy. I’m proud of the victories I had during my career. I managed to take part in three Olympics. I love my medals and I’m truly proud of what I achieved.”
In an interview with RT Sport, the two-time world champion talked about the rise and fall of her success, life after retirement, and coping with post-career depression.
In 2002, an uncompromised battle for the Olympic crown in ladies’ skating was expected to unfold between Slutskaya and the US idol, Michelle Kwan, who was fiercely supported by the home crowd. But to the great disappointment of the US team, pre-tournament favorite Kwan failed to deliver a faultless performance, making two errors that didn’t go unnoticed by the judges.
Slutskaya demonstrated immaculate skating and could have taken gold, if not for the strange decision taken by the judges, who preferred instead to crown another US skater, 16-year-old Sarah Hughes, who made her rise from fourth place after the short program.
The results in the women’s event caused an uproar, with many pundits accusing the judges of being biased and deliberately giving the gold medal to the US team despite Hughes’ jumps being clearly under-rotated.
“My tears were the only logical reaction to the Salt Lake City Olympics. Of course, I knew beforehand that I wouldn’t be allowed to win there – it was all about politics. But, undoubtedly, it was extremely unfair, because, according to all the criteria, I definitely won at those Games,” the former skater told RT Sport.
“It’s more than unpleasant: you’ve been working hard for so many years to get ready for the Olympics. And then you come to the ice knowing that 90 per cent of the audience is against you. You can feel it with all your fibers. It was painful and unfair [not to receive gold]. But, as the years go by, I’ve realized this loss was a drop in the ocean. Olympic medals are not the most important things in life,” she added.
“Real life starts after retirement. You may think you’ve achieved everything: world recognition, financial stability, a huge army of fans, but after leaving your sport, you face problems that really matter. And it scares you a lot, because, if you’re in trouble, it doesn’t matter whether you’re an Olympic champion or not. We’re all equal in the face of problems,” Slutskaya said.
“The most important things in life are health, a close-knit family, kids, and doing work you love and that brings you joy for many years. I have all of that and I’m absolutely happy. I’m proud of the victories I had during my career. I managed to take part in three Olympics. I love my medals and I’m truly proud of what I achieved.”
