Fields of gold michelle kwan biography

American figure skater

Michelle Kwan

The most decorated American figure skater in the sport's history, Michelle Kwan became one of the most respected and admired athletes of her generation for her grace on and off the ice. First making headlines in when she was named an alternate to the American team at the Lillehammer Olympics during the Tonya Harding scandal, Kwan was a national silver medalist at the age of thirteen. At fifteen, she claimed her first U.S. and World Championship titles and at the National Championship delivered performances in the short and long programs that received the highest-ever marks in the modern history of the sport. Already something of a legend when she competed at the Nagano Winter Olympic Games, Kwan finished second in a surprising upset to Tara Lipinski, who performed two triple-jump combinations to take the gold medal. Ironically, the loss served to increase Kwan's popularity for her gracious comments and philosophic