Michelle Kwan is a famous American figure skater. She entered single skating. She won the US championship nine times, became the world champion five times, two-time Olympic medalist.
Michelle Kwan has the largest number of sports awards in American history. The famous figure skater left the big sport. However, her achievements became an incentive for the development of women's single skating.
Children's workouts
In the suburbs of Los Angeles on July 7, 1980, the third child was born to the Kwan family. The newborn was named Michelle. Brother and sister brought the five-year-old baby to the rink.
The young figure skater began to train. When Michelle was eight, training turned into torment.
The girl got up at three in the morning, rolled back the elements, went to school, and then hurried to the rink again.
Michelle's incredible tenacity helped withstand such loads. Due to the lack of time for training, Michelle left school to study on her own.
The young athlete received her first gold at thirteen at the junior world championship.
At the 1995 world championship, the girl got only fourth place. It was a lesson for her. She perfectly honed the technical and artistic side of the performance.
The path to victories
Kwan's signature element is the spiral. The figure skater changed the sliding edges while performing it. The results of the huge work done showed up a year later.
In 1996, Michelle was again the first at the world level. Kwan's triumph was 1998. She skated short and free programs at the national championship to the music of Rachmaninoff and Olvin.
The highest score was given to her by all the judges unanimously. By that time, the young figure skater had barely healed a broken leg.
At the Winter Olympics in Nagano, Michelle took the second step of the podium. The girl did not lose a single championship from 1998 to 2005 and confidently proved her right to world leadership.
Since 2000, after missing the competition in 2002 due to serious injury, Michelle has become the first in the world three times.
The girl was able to skate without pain only after completing treatment in 2006. For a long time Kwan hesitated whether to go to Vancouver for the 2009 Olympics. Finally, Michelle decided to continue her studies.
Life after big sport
By that time, the renowned figure skater had accumulated a lot of sponsorship contracts. She became a representative of the Walt Disney company, participated in advertising for large companies in the country.
In 2005, Michelle opened a children's skating rink in Artenzia, finished writing her autobiography "The Heart of the Championship". Kwan has voiced cartoons, participated in television programs, and starred in a film about herself.
To study international relations and political science, the girl entered the university. His sports career was coming to an end. Michelle became a graduate student in order to study her chosen specialty more deeply.
The studies ended with a doctorate. On the occasion of the visit of the President of the DPRK, Michelle was invited to the White House for the first time in 2006. Kwan was asked to pursue public diplomacy.
Clay Pell worked on the staff of the presidential residence. He was in charge of national security. Young people had similar interests.
The couple started dating. Two years later, Kwan and Pell announced their engagement. The wedding took place on January 19, 2013.
