Kwan Out - Emily Hughes In
Sunday February 12, 2006
Michelle
Kwan tearfully related the details of her withdrawal from the 2006
Winter Olympics to a throng of reporters this morning. According to Peter Uberoth, president of the USOC, the injury Kwan suffered was "new" and was centered in the abductor muscle of the right hip, an injury otherwise known as an acute groin strain.
At 7:30 this morning the USOC applied to have Kwan replaced by Emily Hughes. At 11 am, that application was accepted.
Asked what she'd do now that she wasn't competing, Kwan said she'd "go home and get better. I don't want to be a distraction to the team."
So let's cut Ms. Kwan some slack. She did the right thing, under the circumstances.
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Photo of Michelle Kwan © 2006 by James Martin (Click to see it full size) More Olympic Pictures
Comments
I have watched Michelle grow, compete, win, and loose. It goes to show you… You don’t have to win Gold to be a true champion.
Michelle is a true Olympic Champion!
Wish we could comment but the tv transmission is so poor and breaks up with frequent black outs that we can’t tell what is going on. Very, very disappointing, especially when we looked forward to enjoying the Olympics on our new high definition t.v. The Johnson family. Pittsburgh Pa Home of the great athletes - the Steelers!!
I have watched Michelle as a little girl, we pulled for her! She was cute and dynamic…I also watched her when she doesnt win the top award…not very gracious…go back and look at the videos when she won the bronze and silver…if she cant win, she wont try…what happened to the agony of defeat? She might be injured…but I saw alot of athletes with much more…push themselves because they wanted to show the determination of not quiting…even if she had to walk on the ice and take a bow…and walk off…she should have stayed to support the team!….She is a sore loser and a bad quiter….Team Support…very lacking
Gald Michele Kwan finally listened to her own body! She’s not up to the tricks…hasn’t been and will finally give up her spot to a very deserving alternate! Besides…what was she doing marching in the opening ceremonies…the skater’s are NEVER there for the opening. No wonder she was stiff! Great skater but it’s time for someone else to have a chance!
I just think that Michelle Kwan is wonderful. She gives new meaning to the word sportsmanship. I love the olympics, and this is what the games are all about. It just proves win or lose,it’s how you play the game or in Ms.Kwan’s case give up for someone else. I wish her every happiness and I hope the media stays off her back.
I think Michelle is a true athlete and professional. She has always shown grace, even when loosing. I hurt for her with her injuries, but feel she is and always will be a champion on or off the ice. Good luck Michelle! We all love you!.
I am glad that Michelle realized that she was not physically able to compete. It took much courage to admit that she should withdraw from competition. Her actions showed the true Olympic spirit. Best wishes!
Michelle Kwan is the bigeest loser and i CANNOT believe everyone is woshipping her like this IT IS RIDICULOUS she never got the gold at the olympics so she was a waste of time …but i did like her performance in Ice Princess wtg MK
Sorry I dont really think she is a loser but the Michelle kwan worshipping is again RIDICULOUS and makes me exagerrate the othe way as much as they are exagerrating how powerful and wonderful she WAS!!!!
what a waste of time people have put into Ms. “Poor Me”, she should of never gone in the first place. Face it baby.YOU LOST there is someone better out there than you..FACE IT and let someone else live the dream
Is it possible that Kwan knew she would likely be unable to compete, but decided to go anyway. Why would she do that? What about a little thing called ’sponsorship’ I noticed that Michelle was a part of ‘coca-cola’ team USA as well as tons of other ads. Or, beyond the money from sponsors, what about the pressure from the olympic commitee. This has been one of the least anticipated olympics in decades, what would happen if they didn’t have their ‘golden girl’ of the self-proclaimed ‘most popular event of the games’. I think what Kwan did was more a finacial decision than a physical one, she knew coming in that she was not going to be ready to compete, she just did a very profitable apppearance.
Michelle Kwan went through the paces, arrival in Torino, attendance at Opening Ceremonies, interviews w/TV etc. to satisfy corporate sponsors. She knew and the US committee knew she wasn’t up to it this time. Just as the scoring has changed maybe selection of future teams will be based on numbers too.
Good riddance to Kwan. They never should have bumped Hughes to make room for the injured has-been in the first place.
It’s a SCAM and Michelle knows it!
Good Luck and Best Wishes to Emily Hughes who deserves to be there.
Why do people have to be so insensitive and hurtful to an accomplished athlete and beautiful person as Michelle Kwan? Most of you may not even have skated in your life much less admit to one’s physical weakness and vulnerability. What Michelle Kwan really satnds for is courage and graciousness. Michelle, may you heal physically and emotionally. Live for life!
Kwan never had it she should have stayed home.
GO EMILY! She should have not been bumped for Michelle Kwan.
i dont think michelle kwan travelled all the way to torinoo to have the world watch as she fell on her butt in her first practice…..she is a world class athlete who was given the oppurtunity to compete in the olympics and when she knew she couldnt she did the right thing and withdrew….
Did we hear whining from the Chinese skater who tore his Achiilles tendon 6 months ago, and just did his first jump 2 weeks ago?
Fall down in practice once, and , oh, I just can’t do it…
Please, this was all about sponsorship money, even all over this website, probably a clause in the Coca Cola contract that she doesn’t get X dollars if she doesn’t make the Olympic team.
Wake up, all you star worshippers, it’s all about the money anymore.
Funny, used to be we complained about how unfair it was the Russians and Chinese were just ‘professionals’ in Red Army uniforms. What’s the difference today, our people now get millions in endorsements, the skiers outfits look like NASCAR cars, oops, hold up that board, make sure the manufacturer brand is on camera.
I was critical of Michele Kwan, the classiest thing she did is not drag out this farce any longer and bow out now. So long, and thanks for all the fish…
ps. I played hockey in high school and college, so, yeah, some of us have been on skates before….
Michele Kwan should never have had a position on the team to begin with. She had not competed regularly in a long while and you can’t tell me that the team doctors did not know, as well as herself, that she was not up to the competition in Torino. Why was she ‘voted’ to take the spot from a well-deserving Emily Hughes in the first place? Emily Hughes has EARNED the spot and had to suffer the heartbreak of it being taken from her by the Olympic Committe and Ms Kwan. What Michele did was neither noble nor brave considering the fact that one has to wonder what bureaucratic games were played to overlook her injury and give her another chance to win a gold medal, appalling to say the least. Many other atheletes throughout the Olympic history have had to take it as it comes; Michele was not the best skater in the past and that is why she didn’t have a medal. It was time for her to skate gracefully away and allow Emily Hughes to enjoy the delight and the excitement of Olympic Competition. Michele behaved quite badly throughout this whole thing from the beginning and shame on her and shame on the Olympic Committee.
I am so sad to read the cynical and ugly comments of those who find it necessary to denigrate Michelle Kwan. She followed the rules set out by the International Skating Federation and it is very unfair to hold those rules against her, particularly when she also missed an Olympic opportunity when Nancy Kerrigan followed those same rules.
This is a young woman who has done more for, and given back more to, her sport than most other athletes. The heart and soul that she has put into her skating career have made her far more than just a successful athlete. Michelle Kwan has been a model of courage and honor and an outstanding example of graciousness and generosity in both her triumphs and her defeats. She has been a superb role model for young athletes all over the world, and will continue to be one of the skaters against whom all others are measured in the future of competitive ice skating.
It is distressing to hear the commentators refer to her tears at the end of her bronze medal exhibition performance in 2002 as being due to sadness at having lost the gold medal. This was not the case at all. Her tears were about her sheer joy in the beauty of skating, the emotion and exhilaration from the standing ovation, cheers and love of the crowd. She is an emotional person as anyone who has seen her skate can tell. She cried tears of happiness.
It is absurd to speak of a career as outstanding as Michelle’s as somehow being lessened because she did not win a “gold” in the Olympics. Michelle does not need gold to be golden.
It is fine for people not to agree with the good things said about Michelle; but surely it is not necessary to present negative thoughts
in such mean and petty comments as some of those I have read in this blog.
Good luck, Michelle. God go with you.
And…thanks.
I would like to congradulate Michele on her superb career and for her graceful departure from the games. It had to be terrible difficult for her to admit her injury would stop her from performing to olympic standards.
I commend her in stepping aside and allowing Emily to take her rightful place in the games instead of failing to perform in the games and embarasing the USA. Michele has been and is a great competitor and whether she was aware that she would not be able to compete prior to her appearance in Torin is not for us to say … and actually does not even matter. Michele is one of the worlds best skaters. I have enjoyed watching her performances for years. I only hope that Emily will be able fill Micheles skates on the ice.
I found it very odd that in Bob Costas tribute to Michele Kwan tonite on NBC he mentioned the 9 national championships and 5 world championships she had won but not a mention of the Bronze and Silver Medal she has won. Anyone watching and not knowing this would think that she never won at the Olympics. She’s got two medals, so what’s the big deal? Lots of great skaters never got that far (Right, Tai & Randy?). She had a great ride for a decade and now it’s time to let someone else onto the rink.
We live in a world where Truth seems get covered by politically and corporately orchestrated boo hoo, twanging on the hearts of the gullible. This person, Michelle Kwan, was never cut out to be the number one Olympic champion, period. What is championship? Not something that you just keep trying to get, like a prize. This is more like an aging actor doing anything, regardless of right, to keep his income from waning.
This world is far less random than people believe.
No person, perhaps in the history of sports, has dominated a non-team sport in the way Michelle Kwan has for over a decade. Like so many others on this blog I watched her skate since she was 12. She was like a force of nature ..indeed, watching her skate was like watching the beauty of nature itself. There will never be another one like her. Thanks Michelle.
One other comment on the idiot Bob Costas trying to draw a comparsion between Michelle Kwan and Shaun (?) White - trying to draw a comparsion between a timeless legend and a kid who cant even speak English competing in a sport that no one over 15 knows about or cares about. Legends don’t need nick-names and the only thing missing in the White interview was his saying “Hey dude, wheres my skateboard?” With Apollo and Bode failing to win gold, with Michelle Kwan gracefully stepping aside, and Sasha Cohen probably on the verge of another meltdown, NBC Sports seems desperate to create its own stories … and income.
I may not have all of the facts but I thought is was wrong for Michelle to be given the slot to attend the Olympics to begin with. With that said she has partially done the right thing… stepping down early one so that another could benefit. Like many other opinions I believe that she could have a significant impact as a team “motivator”… too bad she has chosen to focus on herself.
http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=page.feature&FeatureID=196
I say shame on all of them - Shame on Michelle for going when she knew she wasn’t in shape to be there - Shame on Emily Hughes for not acknowledging Kwan when she was interviewed about going to the olympics, Let’s face it Emily do we ever hear about your sister Sarah except near the Olympics, Michelle Kwan will be talked about for years and her contribution to the sport will be remembered long after the Hughes girls are forgotten - Shame on Bob Costas and the other reporter who did the tribut to Michelle Kwan on primetime last night, why not just keep rubbing salt in the wound about the fact that she will never have a gold medal, couldn’t you just leave it as a tribute and not make it something demeaning - And shame on Sasha Cohen (read her comments on this website), You are a snot and hopefully we will not see you at the top of the podium.
PG stands for what? Parental guidance.
It may seem cruel to those fans of Michelle Kwan. I am a fan of the sport of competition ice skating, sport being the keyword here. Somehow the OC decided they needed to put her into the spot that Emily Hughes had earned and Michelle, had not. If you want to talk primadonna then I think Michelle is right up there with the best of them however, she was never the best for the gold. Stepping down in Torino should have been done in the U.S. and now drawn all the attention to herself which can be said, as someone wrote above, for purposes we know all too well which is saying that almost all winners of the Gold end up with huge endorsement contracts. The word ’sport’ has gotten lost somewhere in sports politics, money, egos, money and money. Michelle has had her day, and she would have been a little more gracious and sports-woman like to have stepped down before the games began.
Face it, she is used to being consistently spoiled and oooh and awed over and giving up that might be as difficult as giving up skating in the Olympics. Go get ‘em Emily. She nor any of the other skaters needed to recognize Michelle Kwan in their interviews, they are not there for Michelle Kwan but, as atheletes who have worked the better part of their young lives to be there.
Michelle Kwan absolutely deserved a shot at this year’s Olympics, and most of the women who competed in the US Championships agreed. If you watched them, those who were asked said they understood that they needed to place 1st or 2nd because Michelle would probably be given the third spot (which her performance earned for the US by the way!), and that she deserved it. As far as money is concerned–don’t you think Kwan could have made more hanging around for the week and playing it for all that it was worth? Instead she stepped aside in time for Emily Hughes, a novice who needs polish at best, had time to prepare and compete. What Kwan has done is behave with grace–something that she has not been accorded since she withdrew. Shame on all who judge her.
How about a little cheese with the Whine!!!!! She should have stayed at home.
She knew about the injury
she’d missed the entire Grand Prix season in the fall with a hip injury and the U.S. Nationals in January with the groin injury.
She SCREWED Hughes out of the Olympic experience of opening ceremonies, and having the right to be there - not as a replacement player.
she is selfish and a disgrace to this nation.
Here is a good story -
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/olympics/2006/writers/02/12/kwan/index.html
Mary Hogan, your link above, well, I rest my case. it IS all about the money
Michelle will always be a champion in my eyes. She has a wonderful medal history behind her and that’s something to be proud of. Now, her comment about not wanting to be a distraction to the team, I don’t agree with. If anything, she would be an inspiration to the team just by her presence.
i’ve been watching her for years wishing she would go away - her routines are boring - degree of difficulty is … well, they’re not difficult, that’s why she has no gold medal
she should be ashamed for her selfishness - she knew she physically was unable to compete when she took emily hughes spot on the team, depriving emily of her enjoyment of the opening ceremonies - lust for gold did in michelle - i’m glad she’s gone
I LUV MICELLE KWAN
READ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
it makes me sick how u guys r dissing on micelle like this its so stupid shes the best skater that ever lived and u guys r just jealous shes great wounderful and GREAT u no shes the best u just dont want to idmite it the olympics is just like a world champ and shes got 5!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and i think she can still get the gold medal if she wants it that bad shes the best she should go for the next olympics wen shes29 if any one can do it its her because shes the best there ever was is and the best there ever will b shes the only reason i watch the olympics and i belive in her !!!!!!!!!!!
If you had ever met Kwan off the ice maybe you’d feel like I do. HAVING TO PULL OUT OF THE OLYMPICS COULDN’T HAVE HAPPENED TO A MORE DESERVING PERSON.
I had the misfortune of running into Kwan when I was picking my son up from DIA (Denver Airport) and we were @ the baggage check waiting on bags. Kwan had several people in her party waiting to get her luggage off the carousel and I make the mistake of saying to her “Ms. Kwan, it is nice to see you coming to Denver, when will you be performing here?”
She turned to one in her party and said “Am I performing her in this cowtown?” in a very sarcastic way and never even bothered to look @ me.
WTG Kwan, Karma can be a bit_h.
Ok, 1st of all, that is so unbelievable sad that people have to make up stories to make someone as genuine & hardworking as Michelle. I have met her a couple of times, & she has never been anything but sweet, humble & gracious. To reply directly to “Mike Slivers”, you think a celebity would be dumb enough to say something like “performing in this cowtown?” If she really WAS in Denver, at least give her 1/2 a credit that she would KNOW why she would be there (i.e. a stopover, for a benefit concert, etc). There something called a rehersal & she would be well aware if she was going to perform (cowtown or not).
Wow, so many liars. You didnt think we would catch you? Ridiculous. ALso, for all those backstabbers, could you have done what Michelle has done? She was such a blessing to the US & now you just want to disregard her at a top of a hat. Thank goodness, I’m not American. Y’all are shameful. Greedy americans, never satisfied w/ what you got- always complaining. U don’t think she DIDN’T want to compete? Heck, this was her last time competing for gold, why would she DELIBERATELY WANT TO MESS UP HER LAST & ONLY CHANCE? Please be more intelligent next time, you whiners.
I agree with Jenn Waters. In fact, I read the same story Mike Silvers told in the paper, however, the name of the athlete was NOT Kwan. At least be original in your lies.
LeeAnna
Im tired of people dissing Michelle Kwan. She is a great Skater. Period. She deserved her chance at gold, and unfortunately it didn’t work out for her. All of these younger skaters had so much more time, and its just so sad… And for the person who says she’s boring to watch, i completely disagree. You obvilusly dont even know what talent is. Why dont you do something else other than waste your time dissing other people. If she’s so boring, change the channel.
Michelle Kwan was a great skater, kets leave it alone. I completely agree with all of you on her side. Im sick of people talking bad about ANYONE in the Olympics. they all have talent, or they wouldnt be there. So give it a rest. Michelle Kwan you are truly amazing.