err, the term "ice princess" doesn't automatically confer the implication of the word "bitch" without reason, ya know?

It goes back a ways. For instance, only months after the Tonya Harding-Nancy Kerrigan debacle, I wanted to club Kerrigan in the knee myself!

(Disclaimer to the Kerrigan family: I do not now, and never have, wished actual physical harm on Nancy or her family. But if you've filtered through the forums to find this lil' ol' blog, let me be the first to say that in my opinion, Nancy is an arrogant spoiled individual whose 15 minutes of fame are, thankfully, long put away in the vault).

I still think she should apply for a medical waiver for the competition... and then she'd get an imaginary score like the one that helped her bypass Nationals.
The score might be good enough to medal, 'cause she's Michelle Kwan, BIATCH!

Whoa!  Someone is really into the olympics!  Given I heard the end of the story, but not the whole story, yea, it sucks big time!

dave...

See...I see what you're saying. I don't know...I don't see it as being a diva though. She's a figure skating icon. She's the face of women's figure skating in the US. Think of the "outcry" there'd be if she *wasn't* allowed to skate for a silly groin injury.

Michelle Kwan just didn't decide she would pass the U.S. Nationals then petition for a spot on the Olympic team. It's a process that has been part of skating for years.

When a skater is injured (and Kwan WAS injured) you can notify the Selection Committee of your injury and they will decide if the injury is severe enough to get a hearing. If the Committee decides the injury was significant enough for the skater to miss the Nationals then they recommend a hearing to see if that particular skater should be added to the team. The Committee decided Kwan should get a hearing, and at the hearing they decided to add Kwan to the Olympic team provided she could prove her injury was healed enough for her to skate by a date provided by the Committee. Kwan did skate well enough at the set date and the Committee then added her to the team.

I thought it was the correct decision. It's not like she's the newest media darling and she was picked without credentials. Kwan is a 5-time World Champ. She has done nothing to ever embarrass her sport, and her desire to win a Gold Medal was so strong she lost millions she could've made had she skated professionally.

All the names you called her she may well be, but NOT because of the things you are accusing her of such as being above the Olympic process. And if she was really 'selfish' why would she withdraw knowing she couldn't give her best? Wouldn't a selfish person still skate?

Believe me, the third-place finisher Emily Hughes never stopped training to compete at the Olympics even after Kwan was chosen. When you are an alternate you still go and you still have to be ready to skate in case there IS a injury to a skater. I bet you big money that Emily Hughes and her family don't think Michelle Kwan is a stupid, selfish cow.

Trudy:

I guess we're all entitled to our opinions.

I think that, upon reconsideration, I was wrong.

(I am being serious, not sarcastic, BTW...)

All the hoopla about Michelle Kwan and her bowing out of the Olympics, her nine national championships, and most importantly Peter Ueberroth himself saying that she is the greatest athlete and the finest person that he has ever had the pleasure of knowing... okay, maybe I was being a little harsh on her. Michelle Kwan deserves better, I have come to understand.

Besides, you should have seen the looks on people's faces when we'd be talking about the Olympics and I'd pipe in with "Michelle Kwan is a stupid, selfish cow!" Every eye in the room was on me, I tell you what...

Maybe first impressions are not always the right ones...

When you are an alternate you still go and you still have to be ready to skate in case there IS a injury to a skater. I

While I agree with most everything else you said, this isn't totally true. Emily Hughes was not in Torino--she was in Long Island and was snowed in.

Nancy Kerrigan bumped Michelle out of the Olympic's waaaay back in the 90's with an injury bypass....this Olympics was Michelles last chance to be a contender, and the Olympic committee certainly made every effort to give her an opportunity, and rightly so.

I commend her for both actions; seeking her place on the team, and stepping down to give Hughes the opportunity when her on effort could not be sustained.

Pure class from an athlete is so rare.

There was still a week and a half until the women's skating starts. It's no biggie that Emily was at home... it's nto as if she'd have had to rush onto the ice to help a fallen Kwan.

I think you missed my point. Until Kwan backed out, Emily was not planning to go to Torino. At least that was what they said on the news the other day.

Ditto to what dynosar said! It's truly refreshing when someone admits to being
wrong, and awesomely mature.
I'm such a fan of Michelle Kwan's, watching her is like watching a bird in flight.
Thanks SingrDave!