0nwasianweekly.com
Feb. 18, 2006

(Photo by Rick Browmer/The Associated Press)
Michelle Kwan celebrates her scores at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Portland in January 2005.

Michelle Kwan is our golden girl

Years from now, no one will remember Michelle Kwan as the ice skater who never won gold at the Olympics.

This young woman, whose unparalleled grace, astonishing talent, infectious smile and unwavering integrity won her legions of fans and admirers, will be remembered as one of the greatest athletes to ever compete on ice. In our minds and hearts, she will forever be a winner.

Like many around the world, we were disappointed to learn last weekend that she was pulling out of the Olympics after re-injuring her groin during practice in Italy. It was heartbreaking seeing her cry as she realized she could not compete at the level she wanted to.

It didn’t help that she was under tremendous pressure to do well. Every TV and newspaper report about Kwan highlighted the fact that this five-time world champion has never won Olympic gold. What’s more, the media stressed, the Torino Olympics would be her last chance to win one. Anything less than a gold would have been cause for disappointment.

And so she withdrew. It was the right choice, as the next few weeks would have been agonizing for Kwan if she knew she would not do well in competition. Not that it wasn’t a tough choice; she was forced to abandon her dream of gold before she even got a chance to compete for it. We don’t envy the position she was in.

NBC actually invited Kwan to do commentary during the remainder of the Olympics, but she declined because she didn’t want to take the spotlight away from the other athletes. That decision is a reflection of her selflessness and strength of character.

We hope everyone realizes that this is not the end of the world for Kwan. She’s still got star power. She still commands a great deal of attention wherever she goes, and she’ll take that with her when she leaves the amateur ranks and turns pro. Though she’s been in the international spotlight for a decade, people continue to revere her as the darling of the ice-skating world. No single skater, not even Kristi Yamaguchi, Katarina Witt, Dorothy Hamill or Scott Hamilton, has captured the people’s attention and hearts as she has. Go anywhere in the U.S. and you’ll find young girls, Asian and non-Asian, who want to grow up to be like Michelle Kwan. Countless skaters have come and gone over the years, but she’s still ice skating’s “it girl.”

The Asian American community has always been proud to call her one of its own. She’s a great role model for the younger generation, as she works hard, maintains a positive attitude and stays out of trouble. Unlike many other athletes, she recognizes and accepts the fact that she is a role model and conducts herself accordingly in the public eye.

We wish Kwan all the best in the next stage of her career. Even without a gold, she is considered the greatest American skater in the history of the sport, with five world titles, nine national championships and two Olympic medals (a silver in 1998 and a bronze four years later). She doesn’t need gold to prove she is a champion in every sense of the word.

As far as we’re concerned, Kwan’s star burns as brightly as ever.

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