Kwan, Michelle Wingshan
Michelle Wingshan Kwan, 1980–, American figure skater, b. Torrance, Calif., In 1994 she won the silver medal at the U.S. National Championships and the gold medal in the World Junior Championships. She went on to compete at the highest level for more than a decade; during her career judges awarded her a 54 perfect scores. Known for her elegant, expressive, and graceful presentations, she won nine National Championships, tying (2005) 1930s skater Maribel Vinson-Owen for the most U.S. national titles. Kwan also took five World Championships, winning her first at the age of 16. In the Olympics, she won a silver medal in 1998 and a bronze in 2002; injury prevented her from competing in 2006.
See her autobiography (with L. M. James, 1997).
More From encyclopedia.com
Larisa Latynina , 1934-
Soviet gymmast
Gymnast Larisa Latynina won 18 medals in Olympic competition, and is the most decorated Olympian to date in any sport. She compe… Evelyn Ashford , Ashford, Evelyn
1957-
American track and field athlete
Recognized as one of track and field history's most accomplished sprinters, Evelyn Ashford is… Ingemar Stenmark , 1956-
Swedish skier
Ingemar Stenmark won a record 86 World Cup racesduring his 15-year career. He dominated the slalom and giant slalom courses, winn… Medal , MEDALS
The significance of Jewish medals is both historical and artistic; they illustrate the history of the Jews in the widest sense of the word. (S… Al Oerter , Oerter, Al
1936-
American discus thrower
One of the great figures in Olympic track and field history, Al Oerter was the first athlete to win gold med… Peggy Fleming , Fleming, Peggy
1948-
American figure skater
One of the most influential female athletes of the past century, Peggy Fleming combined grace and power t…
You Might Also Like
NEARBY TERMS
Kwan, Michelle Wingshan