The Gold Standard

Kwan Withdraws from Olympic Winter Games

The United States Olympic Committee (USOC) announced today that five-time World and nine-time U.S. champion Michelle Kwan has made the decision to withdraw from the 2006 Olympic Winter Games due to injury. Kwan injured an adductor muscle in her right hip, commonly called a groin strain, at a practice Saturday morning at the Palaghiaccio practice ice rink in Torino, Italy.

Pain from the injury grew significantly worse Saturday evening. At 2:15 a.m. Sunday, Kwan was evaluated by a U.S. team physician in the Athletes' Village. Dr. Jim Moeller, M.D., of Detroit, Mich., evaluated Kwan and diagnosed her with a severe groin strain. Shortly afterwards, Kwan decided to withdraw from Olympic competition.

"Taking myself off the team is the most difficult decision I've ever had to make,” Kwan said, “but it's the right decision. This injury prevents me from skating my best, and I've said all along that if I couldn't skate to the level that I expected from myself I'd withdraw from the team. The Olympics is the greatest sporting event in the world and what's most important is that the United States fields the strongest team possible. As much as I'd love to represent the United States in Torino, I would never stand in the way of that."

Emily Hughes will take Michelle Kwan's place on the Olympic team.


Emily Hughes at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in St. Louis, Missouri on January 12, 2006.

Hughes finished third at the national championships last month, but was bumped from the Olympic team when Kwan received a medical exemption. The five-time world and nine-time U.S. champion skipped nationals with a groin injury, but was declared fit enough to skate at a Jan. 27 monitoring session.

Hughes was named the first alternate, and also got a spot on the world championship team.

Both Hughes and Kwan have conducted themselves with such class.

Hughes didn't complain when Kwan was given the spot she had earned. She was very gracious about it.

Likewise, Kwan, although obviously disappointed, wasn't bitter about withdrawing from the Games. She gave Hughes her support, saying, "The Olympics is an incredible experience. I know she's been working hard and she'll make the country proud."

How great is that?

Kwan has amassed mounds of gold medals, but it is too bad that she never realized her dream of Olympic gold. I do wish she could have had one more shot at it.

Nonetheless, I think she's already shown herself to be a true Olympic champion. Michelle Kwan has represented the United States with incredible determination and grace, in both victory and defeat.

Take note aspiring Olympians: Winning the gold is not the only measure of greatness.