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badtz · Feb 13, 2006, 02:48 PM

I was really excited to watch her skate ........

Dakar · Feb 13, 2006, 02:52 PM

Groin injury, eh?

*schoolboy giggle*

typoon · Feb 13, 2006, 03:25 PM

So was I but I'm glad that she didn't let trying to win a gold medal cloud her judgement. She really is a class act.

to one of if not THE greatest American Women's figure skater.

wdlove · Feb 13, 2006, 03:32 PM

The news makes me very sad. I agree she is a class act. She has always acted with honor. A 14 year career to be very proud. I'm very proud of her.

typoon · Feb 13, 2006, 03:45 PM

Great article on ESPN http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/winter...ory?id=2328132

TORINO, Italy -- Michelle Kwan wasn't selfish for trying to skate in one last Olympics. At least no more selfish than any other athlete ever is.

Kwan is a nine-time U.S. champion and a five-time world champion. She's the most decorated figure skater in U.S. history. She was the face of figure skating during the sport's highest popularity. Yet, what we constantly brought up was how she had never won an Olympic gold medal, that her career was incomplete without it.

And then we blame her for hanging on too long trying to win one?

If U.S. Figure Skating didn't think a healthy Kwan would be one of the country's three best skaters to send to the Olympics, then it should have rejected her petition last month. But you can't blame Kwan, the athlete, for trying every reasonable means to reach the only goal we say matters -- Olympic gold.

Let us remember that Kwan should have skated at the 1994 Olympics, but was dropped to an alternate role when Nancy Kerrigan got a medical bye and the USOC allowed Tonya Harding to skate despite her suspected role in the knee-capping. Kwan didn't complain. She flew to Norway, trained on her own in Oslo in case she was needed and never whined that she had been cheated out of an Olympic chance, when in fact, she had been.

(She also never complained about having to ride in a Disneyland parade with Mickey Mouse, but that's another story.)

I remember how Kwan skated at the World Championships in Minneapolis shortly after the 1998 Olympics. One after another, the top skaters at Nagano found a convenient excuse not to show (Tara Lipinski bagged out within two days of winning the gold), but Kwan honored her commitment. She could have dropped out like everyone else, but she competed because she felt an obligation to her sport.

How many more fans did the U.S. gain because she skated that weekend?

How many more skaters are there because Kwan "hung around" for more than a decade?

What do we want anyway? Would we be happier if, after losing in Nagano eight years ago, Kwan had instead signed on for a cross-country tour of "Titanic on Ice?" Would it have been better had she dropped out of the sport, started drinking heavily and wound up playing Hold'em on Celebrity Poker Showdown? Would it be better if there was an age limit so that when a skater becomes too old for R. Kelly, she also becomes too old for the Olympics?

Kwan won the previous eight U.S. titles before missing nationals last month because of her groin injury. So if the USOC gave her the benefit of the doubt in this case, she earned it. And when she realized she would not be healthy enough to compete very late Saturday night, she made the decision in time to give someone else a chance.

"When I first put in my petition, I believed I would be 100 percent by the time the Olympics came around," she told a roomful of reporters Sunday through watery eyes. "After yesterday, going on the ice and feeling stiff and doing the flip and pulling my groin again, I don't think I can be 100 percent and I respect the Olympics too much to compete when I don't feel I'm at my best.

"It was the toughest decision I ever had to make, but I know it's the right one."

No one was cheated here. Emily Hughes will compete, just as she would have had Kwan never filed the petition. "I think it was fair that Michelle had all the opportunities to make it the Olympic team and it's unfortunate she's hurt and can't compete," Hughes said in a teleconference call from New York.

Hughes said she was preparing her routine for the World Championships and would be ready to compete whenever the time came up "and right now, it's the Olympics."

The only one who's hurt by this is Kwan (other than NBC's ratings, naturally).

"It was always the dream to win the Olympics. It's always an honor to represent your country," Kwan said. "[But] I've learned that it's not about the gold. It's about the spirit of it. It's about the sport itself. I have no regrets. I tried my hardest, and if I don't win the gold, it's OK. I've had a great career and I've been very lucky. I'll miss the sport. It's beautiful."

Kwan wasn't selfish trying for a gold medal. She was normal.

And if by some chance she's still skating, still "hanging around" in four years, I would be happy to have Kwan represent our country in Vancouver.

Jim Caple is a senior writer for ESPN.com.

nredman · Feb 13, 2006, 04:02 PM

i'm sick of hearing about michelle kwan

residentEvil · Feb 13, 2006, 04:06 PM

yeah, no kidding. stick a cock in her ass, she is done.

ironknee · Feb 13, 2006, 04:59 PM

the only reason to watch ice skating

demograph68 · Feb 13, 2006, 06:14 PM

She should cover up before she gets a cold.

badtz · Feb 14, 2006, 01:58 AM

Originally Posted by residentEvil

yeah, no kidding. stick a cock in her ass, she is done.

what a grown up response.

Chuckit · Feb 14, 2006, 02:11 AM

It's really too bad. As much as I like Michelle, she deserved her last two Olympic losses. I was hoping this would be her time to shine, but apparently not. She's had a good career, anyway, and has at least consistently medaled in the Olympics. She should be proud.

Big Mac · Feb 14, 2006, 02:37 AM

Originally Posted by residentEvil

yeah, no kidding. stick a cock in her ass, she is done.

That's one despicable remark. Did she run over your dog or something?

greenamp · Feb 14, 2006, 02:41 AM

There is no excuse for a good looking female in her sexual prime to not have properly stretched groin muscles.

Chuckit · Feb 14, 2006, 02:50 AM

Michelle's a little ways off from her sexual prime by most numbers I've seen. I would still be charitable enough to hit it, of course.

wdlove · Feb 14, 2006, 09:47 AM

I very saddened by the level of the posting about her. She is a very fine young lady and deserves our respect.

Dakar · Feb 14, 2006, 09:50 AM

I don't think you'll find a lot of figure skating fans given the average age (and gender) of the forum.

typoon · Feb 14, 2006, 12:24 PM

Originally Posted by Dakar

I don't think you'll find a lot of figure skating fans given the average age (and gender) of the forum.

I'll agree with that.

Monique · Feb 14, 2006, 03:24 PM

The Americans best hope at this time is the dance pair, I can't remember their name. But the woman is an ex-Canadian that could not find a descent trainer in Canada and so to get the best she moved to the United States and became recently an American.

Was Kwan really able to get the gold?

Did you guys watched the pair free skating last night, poor chinese girl that fell, that must have hurt a lot; hope she is ok. The Russians were absolutly great.

typoon · Feb 14, 2006, 04:00 PM

Originally Posted by Monique

The Americans best hope at this time is the dance pair, I can't remember their name. But the woman is an ex-Canadian that could not find a descent trainer in Canada and so to get the best she moved to the United States and became recently an American.

Was Kwan really able to get the gold?

Did you guys watched the pair free skating last night, poor chinese girl that fell, that must have hurt a lot; hope she is ok. The Russians were absolutly great.

Everyone has a chance to get the gold. I think Kwan had an excellent chance. I saw that pairs competition. You could almost feel the pain she was going through when you her land on her knee.

ajprice · Feb 14, 2006, 04:49 PM

I thought this thread might have had more pictures by now....

ironknee · Feb 14, 2006, 05:44 PM

badtz · Feb 14, 2006, 08:53 PM

Originally Posted by Dakar

I don't think you'll find a lot of figure skating fans given the average age (and gender) of the forum.

what's the average age and gender of "figure skating fans"?

Sourbook · Feb 14, 2006, 09:13 PM

Originally Posted by ajprice

I thought this thread might have had more pictures by now....

She's hot!

Chuckit · Feb 14, 2006, 09:14 PM

Originally Posted by badtz

what's the average age and gender of "figure skating fans"?

Not-young and not-male?

greenamp · Feb 14, 2006, 10:54 PM

Apple Pro Underwear · Feb 14, 2006, 11:36 PM

i'd only hit it 4 times

Dakar · Feb 15, 2006, 07:26 AM

Originally Posted by Chuckit

Not-young and not-male?

Bingo.

wdlove · Feb 16, 2006, 02:24 PM

Those are beautiful pictures. Awesome beauty. What I like about the sport. The grace and beauty.

Mrjinglesusa · Feb 16, 2006, 02:35 PM

At least she did the admirable thing and left Torino so as not to be a distraction to the US skaters who will actually be COMPETING for a medal.

greenamp · Feb 16, 2006, 02:39 PM

BTW why are people calling it Torino when the town's name is Turin? Am I missing something?

Dakar · 03:59 PM

Originally Posted by greenamp

BTW why are people calling it Torino when the town's name is Turin? Am I missing something?

I suppose. The actual name of the town IS Torino. Problem is nobody likes calling towns by their name in their native language. It's rather arrogant.

Mrjinglesusa · Feb 16, 2006, 03:55 PM

Originally Posted by greenamp

BTW why are people calling it Torino when the town's name is Turin? Am I missing something?

Yes, you are missing something. The town's name is TORINO, not Turin.

That's what the OFFICIAL OLYMPIC WEBSITE calls it:

http://www.torino2006.org/ENG/Olympi...ome/index.html

It's also what ITALIANS call it:

http://www.comune.torino.it/canaleturismo/en/

In fact, TURIN is the ANGLICIZED name of Torino:

http://www.sltrib.com/ci_3490235

Turin is how The Associated Press (AP) and newspapers that follow the news cooperative's stylebook - including The Salt Lake Tribune - will refer to the Olympic city, according to an explanation by the AP's sports editor, Terry Taylor.
"We use Turin in accordance with our long-standing style to use English names on English-language wires," Taylor explained last month in a wire service story. "It's the Shroud of Turin, for instance, not the Shroud of Torino. And when the World Cup comes to Germany this summer, we will write that games will be played in Munich, not Muenchen.
"Of course, in the interest of accuracy, we will not Anglicize the name in full references to the Olympic organizing committee, which uses Torino, and we will not change Torino to Turin in quotations."

greenamp · Feb 16, 2006, 04:43 PM

Originally Posted by Mrjinglesusa

Yes, you are missing something. The town's name is TORINO, not Turin.

That's what the OFFICIAL OLYMPIC WEBSITE calls it:

http://www.torino2006.org/ENG/Olympi...ome/index.html

It's also what ITALIANS call it:

http://www.comune.torino.it/canaleturismo/en/

In fact, TURIN is the ANGLICIZED name of Torino:

http://www.sltrib.com/ci_3490235

lol ok ok sheesh, I was just asking!