Early competition
In 1991, Michelle and sister Karen began training with Frank Carroll. After one year of coaching by Carroll, 11-year old Michelle placed 9th at the junior level at the United States Figure Skating Championships. At the age of 12 in 1992, Kwan passed the final test to become a senior-level figure skater despite the disapproval of her coach. In 1993, Kwan finished sixth at her first senior U.S. championships. The next season, she won the 1994 World Junior title.
In 1994, Kwan finished second to Tonya Harding at the U.S. championships, which ordinarily would have earned her a spot on the U.S. team to the 1994 Olympic Games in Lillehammer, Norway. That place, however, was instead given to 1993 national champion Nancy Kerrigan, who had been sidelined by an assault and battery (eventually connected to Harding's ex-husband Jeff Gillooly), after a practice session at those championships. The 13-year-old Kwan went to Norway as an alternate but did not compete. Kerrigan and Harding both
More about Michelle Kwan (From Wikipedia)
Summary
Kwan has won five World Championships (1996, 1998, 2000, 2001, and 2003), the most by anyone in the ladies' division since Carol Heiss (1956–1960), with whom she is tied for read more...
Early Competition
In 1991, Michelle and sister Karen began training with Frank Carroll. After one year of coaching by Carroll, 11-year old Michelle placed 9th at the junior level at the United States read more...
Artistic Development And 1998 Olympics
Following 1995, Kwan developed a more mature style. Her new, more artistically expressive programs were "Romanza" (short program) and "Salome" (free skate). She also improved her read more...
From 1998 To 2002 Olympics
Kwan continued to compete as an eligible skater in the 1998–99 season, although she bypassed the fall Grand Prix season and instead chose to skate in a series of made-for-television read more...
Continued Competition
While the question of her retirement to the professional level lingered, Kwan continued to compete on the Olympic-eligible circuit. She added three more U.S. championships (2003–2005) read more...
2006 Olympics
Kwan looked at the 2005 Worlds as a learning experience in the ISU Judging System.[citation needed] She continued to train and stated that she would attempt to qualify for the 2006 read more...
Injury And Continued Career
After completing the spring and summer Champions on Ice tour, Kwan underwent elective arthroscopic surgery in August 2006 to repair a torn labrum in her right hip, an old injury read more...
Michelle Wingshan Kwan (Traditional Chinese: 關穎çŠ; pinyin: GuÄn YÇngshÄn; Cantonese IPA: Gwaan Wingsaan; born July 7, 1980) is an American read more...
Kwan is a recipient of the prestigious James E. Sullivan Award (2001), which is given to America's best amateur athlete; she was the first figure skater to win the award since Dick read more...