2012 PRUDENTIAL U.S. FIGURE SKATING CHAMPIONSHIPS MICHELLE KWAN
A GREAT CHAMPION
KWAN INDUCTED INTO HALL OF FAME by BARB REICHERT
M
ichelle Kwan adds a playful, yet graceful heart to her signature. It’s more than decoration, of course;
more subtle than proclamation. Perhaps it’s that contrast — a fierce com- petitor with a soft edge — that has won the hearts of skating fans across the world. Many of those fans specifically made the trip to San Jose, Calif., to honor Kwan as she was induct- ed into the U.S. Figure Skating Hall of Fame on Jan. 27.
And as much as fans miss her, Kwan ad- mits she feels a bit of loss, too. “I miss everything about skating, to tell
you the truth,” she said during an intimate af- fair inside the elegant Fairmont San Jose. “I miss the routine. I miss training every day. I miss my friends at the rink. I miss everything. I miss competing.” Kwan was celebrated with a ceremony be- fitting one of the sport’s most-beloved athletes. After waiting in a line that extended through the hotel’s grand entrance, enthusiastic guests were welcomed with a commemorative coin depicting Kwan’s iconic spiral and her most- notable accomplishments: nine U.S. champi- onships, five World titles, two Olympic medals. Te room was lit in royal hues, high-
lighted by Kwan’s translucent signature styl- ishly projected on the wall. As the 300 guests mingled before the ceremony, some spontane- ously toasted Kwan, while others exchanged memorable moments of a stellar career. Dr. Larry Mondschein, chair of the U.S.
Figure Skating Hall of Fame selection commit- tee, led the ceremony. Others on the dais were U.S. Figure Skating President Patricia St. Peter and 1988 Olympic champion and 1996 Hall of Fame member Brian Boitano. Former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who was unable to attend, gave a video tribute to her close friend.
Boitano, who has known the 31-year-old
Kwan since she was 13, shared memories of their travels as members of Champions on Ice. When he met Kwan, she was an alternate to the 1994 Olympic team. Boitano reminisced about the girl with “little wispy hairs on her forehead, a ponytail and no makeup.” “She had these little tiny legs that made
you think, ‘how are those going to hold her up much less do triples?’” Boitano vividly recalled a trip when a young
Kwan, now a U.S. diplomacy ambassador, con- fided that she one day would like to be president of the United States. Not missing a beat, Boitano
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pulled out a button that proclaimed KWAN FOR PRESIDENT, and pinned it to his lapel to the delight of the audience. Seated with her family in the front row,
Kwan took in the moment and often flashed her infectious smile. When it was her turn to speak, an appreciative crowd stayed on its feet. Humbled, she thanked her family, friends, fans and U.S. Figure Skating. “When I look back at my skating career,
I’m thankful for the years I was on the ice,” Kwan said, “having the opportunity to go out and do what I love every day, with thousands and millions of people watching.” And like a great champion, Kwan does
not live with regret. “You might look back and say, ‘It’s a bum-
mer I didn’t win gold in ’98 or 2002.’ Yes, I could reflect back and think those thoughts. But to me, it was about moments. It was never about the medals, it was about loving what I do. “Skating is something that will always be close to my heart. Tat will always be there.”
PHOTOS BY JAY ADEFF
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