スルツカヤ（ Irina Slutskaya）のニュース記事（英語）があったので、軽く読んでみたのですが、2008ロシア杯に微妙にリンクしている内容だったりして、でも彼女自身の話題であったりして、マ、なるほどねぇってなニュースでした。

ヘッドラインが凄いです。

Irina Slutskaya too busy to think about retirement

直訳すると「イリーナスルツカヤは」「とても忙しい」「考えることが」「引退について」ってなり、「引退について考えるには、とても忙しい」ってなる（笑）

引退してないのかよ！

表だって引退声明とか出していなかったはずなので、そうなのですが、事実上の引退状態にあるわけで、最後の勇姿であるトリノ五輪から、やがて3年の月日が経とうとしています。

その間、妊娠出産があったわけで、息子も、やがて1歳ですよね。

It’s everything
（すべてです）

とあり、これは息子のこと。

母親なら、誰でもそうですね。

ロッキー山脈でスノーボードやってたスルツカヤですが、話題はロシアのフィギュアスケート事情にも触れ、2008ロシア杯女子SPのベスト5にロシア選手がいなかったことについてなどあります。

それに対してポジティブな、というより性格的に「んなぁこたない！」と強気な発言をするスルツカヤ（笑）

スケートの話題、家族の話題、スルツカヤの現状の話題など、話題は多岐に渡っているニュース記事。おそらく、スルツカヤ自身の言葉と思うのですが、それぞれの話題に対して語るスルツカヤ。

なるほどねぇ。

最後に「私はエキシビション（おそらくショーも含む）が好きです。人々のためにスケートがしたい」と語っています。

そして、最後の最後に本質的な言葉が語られているのですが、それはご自身でご確認ください。

戦う女性ですね。

While the world’s best competitive figure skaters were grinding through yet another competition, Irina Slutskaya was half a world away, snowboarding in the Rocky Mountains.

“It’s a different life,” she said on Friday with her trademark bubbly laugh. “This is just great.”

The two-time world figure skating champion and Olympic medalist may not have skated competitively in almost three years, but don’t call her retired.

She is, if possible, even busier now than when she was competing. She’s hosting TV shows in her Russian homeland, and skating on a “Dancing with the Stars”-like program. She’s doing some acting, and this week she came to the United States for a show that promotes heart disease awareness.

And in her favorite role of all, she’s a mother. Her son, Artem, turned 1 this month.

“It’s everything,” she said of motherhood. “I want this baby for a long time, and now I’m just happy.”

In every part of her life.

Slutskaya, who turns 30 in February, was one of the world’s best for a decade, often battling good friend Michelle Kwan for the top spot on the podium. She had incredible athleticism, allowing her to pull off the toughest jumps — she can still do all five triples — and spins.

Her trademark was a double Biellmann, where she reached back with both hands, grabbed the blade of one skate and pulled it straight over her head, then did the same thing with the other skate.

She won a record seven European titles, and was the world champion in 2002 and 2005 — the latter after she missed a year with a heart ailment that sapped her strength and energy. She was the silver medalist at the Salt Lake City Olympics, and took the bronze four years later in Turin.

“Each moment of life is different. In those times, when I was practicing, that was an important thing for me,” she said. “I took every single practice and I don’t know another life. I knew I loved it.”

But unlike some athletes, who find it hard to adjust when they stop competing, Slutskaya made the transition as easily as she changed costumes. Always popular, she was immediately in demand in Russia to do TV shows, theater and movies. She was part of the “Champions on Ice” tour in the United States, and did similar shows in Russia.

And having been married since 1999 to Sergei Mikheev, she knew she wanted a family.

“I can’t have a baby when I was in the worlds and the Olympics,” she said. “I can’t do (those) two things together.”

Though she’ll put Artem in skates at some point, Slutskaya said she doesn’t care if her son becomes a skater like her. She wants him to try snowboarding and bicycling and swimming — all the other sports she and her husband enjoy.

Slutskaya said she tries to keep up with what’s going on in competitive skating, and is disappointed Russia is still trying to find someone who can be a medals contender. Only one Russian woman advanced to the free skate at last year’s world championships, and Ksenia Doronina finished 17th.

At the Cup of Russia on Friday, there were no Russians in the top five of the women’s short program.

“I think that will be changing,” she said. “We have a good program, and there will be good skaters.”

Just don’t expect her to be one of them.

While Slutskaya still skates several hours a day, she said there was nothing driving her to compete again. She’s been to three Olympics and while she might not have won the gold, she was a world champion.

“I don’t see the target. I don’t know why I have to go there,” she said. “I have almost all the titles.”

Besides, she’s got plenty of other things to occupy her.

She performed on Wednesday in “Skate for the Heart,” a show that raises awareness for heart disease, also starring Ekaterina Gordeeva, Rudy Galindo and musician Kenny G. It’s a cause that, obviously, means a great deal to Slutskaya.

After having a high fever for several weeks in 2003, doctors found that the sac around Slutskaya’s heart was inflamed. She was also later diagnosed with vasculitis, an inflammation of blood vessels that can cause major vascular organs to deteriorate.

“I really like exhibitions and I really like to skate for people,” she said. “Maybe somebody will watch me and say, ‘My gosh, if she fought through her illness, why should I be sitting here?’”

■ Irina Slutskaya too busy to think about retirement
（THE NEW YORK TIMES Web版より。2008.11.22）

うんうん、私も「My gosh！」って言うナ。

My gosh, if she fought through her illness, why should I be sitting here?

なかなか、いい締めの言葉であります。

なにやってんだ、俺！ってなるなる。

ってなことで。