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Kwan in US squad without touching ice
(China Daily)
Updated: 2006-01-18 06:59
Without ever putting her blades on the ice, Michelle Kwan made the US figure
skating team heading to the Turin Olympics with national champion Sasha Cohen
right by her side.
Michelle
Kwan | Kwan missed the US Figure Skating Championships with a groin injury. But the
selection committee gave the nine-time US and five-time world champion a medical
bye on Saturday night, placing her on the team with Kimmie Meissner.
She made it ahead of third-place finisher Emily Hughes, who was designated an
alternate along with Katy Taylor.
"I am very happy that US Figure Skating approved my petition to be nominated
to the Olympic Team. At the same time I can empathize with how Emily must be
feeling because I was in a similar situation in 1994," Kwan, who was in
California, said in a statement.
"I appreciate the faith that US Figure Skating has placed in me. I am
confident that I will be fully ready to compete at the Olympics and look forward
to representing the USA in Torino."
Kwan finished second at the 1994 national championships, but she was left off
the team when Nancy Kerrigan was given a medical bye
"We looked at basically the Olympic selection criteria we're dealing with ...
and we had a healthy discussion," said Bob Horen, chairman of the International
Committee that made the decision.
"... We felt she had a better chance to medal."
Kwan cannot start packing for Turin yet. If a five-member committee decides
Kwan is not healthy or fit enough to skate by January 27 she would be replaced
by Hughes. If Hughes cannot go or has had to replace somebody else, Taylor would
take the spot.
"I thought just standing on the podium at nationals was
such a great feeling for me to be third," Hughes, the younger sister of 2002
Olympic champion Sarah, said before the decision was announced. "Whatever
decision they make, I think it will be a good one. I'm going to go home and
train because you never know what will happen."
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