 Nyora kuenderera mberi kweiyi ndima - Mumwaka wa2001-02, Slutskaya akakunda misangano yake mishanu yese naKwan, zvisinei, akaonawo dambudziko idzva kubva kumakwikwi eWorld bronze medalist wa2001, Sarah Hughes. Mushure mokukunda mukombe wake wokutanga weGoodwill Games, akapedza wechipiri kuna Hughes paSkate Canada International ndokuzotora ndarama paCup of Russia. PaGrand Prix Final, Slutskaya akaita zvakanaka kuti akunde zvikamu zviviri zvokutanga zvechiitiko chacho, asi kukwira kwake kwechipiri kwakasununguka kwaiva nematatu chete akachena. Vatongi vatatu vakamuisa wechitatu shure kweKwan naHughes asi vamwe vana vakamuisa wekutanga, vachipa Slutskaya zita rake rechitatu reGPF. Akabva atora zita rake rechitatu rakatwasuka reRussia asi akarasikirwa neEuropeanzita rokuti Maria Butyrskaya. Wechitatu muchirongwa chipfupi mushure mekudonha, akaiswa pekutanga mukutamba akasununguka asi zvaive zvisina kukwana kukunda kushomeka kwake. 