Michelle will be at the premiere for the movie The Rookie! The premiere takes place on Tuesday, March 26, 2002 at the Astor Plaza Theater in New York. The after party took place at the ESPN zone. Michelle wore a Dolce and Gabbana pant suit.

On the Wednesday editions of the syndicated shows Entertainment Tonight and Extra, they showed Michelle at the premiere! I didn't see her on Extra, but I heard about it. I saw her on Entertainment Tonight, and was pleasantly surprised. It was fast, but still, they showed her, and said her name (they only showed two Olympians, her and then Jim Shea).

You can watch two windows media clips that contain Michelleat the premiere from the movies premiere site:

  • Premiere footage
    In this first clip, Michelle is shown at about the 40 second mark of the 1:44 minute clip
  • Event footage
    In this second clip, Michelle (with Tim) is shown at about 25 seconds into the 2:14 minute clip

Also, check out the following pictures from the premiere and after party:

When Michelle was at the premiere for the movie The Rookie, she told People magazine that although she loves watching baseball, she will be sticking with ice skating. Michelle said, "Baseball's, no good for me. I pitched once and I made it to the mound, I was pretty impressed." Fans have also asked her to sign baseballs. She said, "I've signed autographs on baseballs before and I'm thinking, 'Now, that's not right.'" Haha, I'm a huge baseball fan, and I've never thought about asking her to sign a baseball, so I wonder who would! For more information, check out People's online article, Celebs Pitch In for 'Rookie' Premiere.

Also, for reference sake, on June 9, 1997, Michelle threw out the first pitch at the Chicago White Sox-Baltimore Orioles game in Chicago. I don't know if this is what she is referring to when she says she pictched once, but when she threw out the first pitch, she said she was nervous. She said, "That's a long throw from the pitcher's place to home plate, " When asked if she threw a strike, she replied, "I'm not sure. But [the White Sox third baseman] told me I did a good job and not many girls can throw it that far."

I've changed the picture on my main page to one of Michelle at Nationals. Hope you like it! I also added more pictures from Leah Adams to my site this week. Check out the Rachmaninoff, Scheherazade, and Podium sections of my photo gallery to see some of her pictures.
Sorento e-mailed me the following about Craig Kilborn's show from February 1, 2002 (Thanks Sorento!):

I just watched The Late Late Show With Craig Kilborn and he showed the letter that was sent to him by Donald Trump. Mr. Trump has invited him to be one of the celebrity judges for the for the coming Miss USA pageant which will be held on March 1, 2002. He talked to Kelly Brock of the Miss USA Pageant office, I think she told him that Michelle Kwan, Tyra Banks, and others were also invited to be one of the judges. So I am not sure if Michelle accepted the invitation or not. Michelle ended up not accepting the invitation, maybe because the timing didn't work out. But it's still neat that she was asked to be a judge!
Michelle will be carrying the Olympic torch! On the USFSA's Olympic site, they have an article, "Figure Skaters Volunteer for Torch Relay Duty", about skaters carrying the torch. It lists the Olympic eligible skaters that will be carrying the torch (quite a lot!) and one of them is Michelle!

Michelle carried the Olympic torch in LA on Tuesday January 15, 2002 around 6:30pm. Some local news stations showed a clip of her, as well as some national press (such as the weather channel.) Check out the following pictures and articles about her carrying the torch!

Pictures:

Articles:

BTW, when I saw the torch on December 22, I did not see the car with Michelle's picture that I wrote about earlier. It was still amazing, and I highly recommend anyone who can to go see the torch when it comes near you! Too bad no figure skaters did it when it was here in Philadelphia

Michelle is listed as one of the celebrities that use the teeth whitening product, BriteSmile, in the article Tournament of Roses Royal Court Smiling White Courtesy of BriteSmile:

The members of the Rose Court join a growing number of high profile clients and celebrities, including Holly Robinson Peete, Dennis Hopper, Tony Bennett, Angie Everhart, Chris Tucker, Kevin Costner, and Michelle Kwan who have already had their teeth whitened by BriteSmile. But thanks to BriteSmile's amazing, scientifically proven results and unique, one-hour delivery system, over 200,000 additional clients now boast their own superstar smiles.
Michelle will be skating to Rachmaninoff for her short program! In the LA Times article, Kwan Chooses Routine, Michelle says "It was a really good program for me. People loved it. I loved it. I enjoyed it." She later says, "I was looking at tapes the other day, just looking at programs I had done before. It's hard doing my short program to 'East of Eden' again. I've done it so many times. I said, 'I want to change and do something else,' but I had never found anything I liked better. Then I looked at the Olympic tape and said, 'Hey, that's one of my favorites. That's the favorite." That's my favorite too, Michelle! She will skate this short program at the Grand Prix Finals next week.

The article also states that she has been mostly practicing at Lake Arrowhead, "where she enjoys the relative quiet and the opportunity to train at altitude." She also does not rule out getting a coach before the Olympics. "You just never know. Until I find somebody and something happens, you never know. I'm not really looking. I've been asked by a dozen coaches, 'Would you like to work with me?' But that would be hard, with the limited time until the Olympics, to build the kind of trust you need and to get to know someone so well."

Towards the bottom of an LA Times article from Monday, November 5, it says the following.

Kwan, who has worked alone since dismissing Frank Carroll, has also changed her routine and is often skating at the Skater's Edge in Torrance instead of HealthSouth in El Segundo. She has been on the ice with her sister, Karen, and Karen's fiance, Peter Oppegard, a 1988 Olympic pairs bronze medalist with Jill Watson. Karen Kwan and Oppegard are coaches.

However, in the LA Times article, Kwan Cuts Through Coaching Speculation, from November 13, she states that she is not working with any coach right now, including Peter Oppegard. She says that she is not skating at Skater's Edge in Torrance (as stated in the earlier article), but will be splitting her time between HealthSouth in El Segundo and Lake Arrowhead. She also says that she may have a new short program later in the season.

Kwan4Gold2002 posted the following on the MK Forum about Michelle being mentioned on the ESPN show "Pardon The Interruption: With Tony Kornheiser and Mike Wilbon." On this show, they basically talk about different topics for anywhere from 30 seconds to a few minutes.

Towards the end of the 1/2 hr show they do a "lets get some other news of interest" type section. One of the reporters mentioned that Michelle Kwan won her 6th Skate America title on Saturday, and that she was his favorite skater. One of the other reporters then mentioned that Janet Lynn will always be his favorite skater. It was really short, maybe a 15 sec. mention, but none the less, Michelle in the News
You can bid on a signed skate worn by Michelle last season on ebay! The auction is for charity, and ends on October 27. As I type this, the bid is at $690. Another auction of an autographed skate from Michelle on ebay! This auction is conducted by the USOC for a different charity than the last one. The auction ends on November 4, and is at $260 as I type this. With a picture of the signed skate are several pictures that I believe were taken at the US Olympic Team Media Summit on October 21 that I wrote about earlier. Here are the pics from that photo shoot that I have seen online:
BIG news. Michelle is leaving her coach, Frank Carroll. Both sides still say they love each other, and Frank wants to see Michelle win the Olympics. Michelle said, "There wasn't a huge fight or anything between us. I spoke to him on Friday. I just think when it all goes back to the beginning. When I was younger, it used to be like Frank was the skater. As I've gotten older, it seems like I've gotten more independent. As the relationship evolves, I think I've become stronger and think for myself....I think the person that knows best is me. That's why I've made this decision. It's not like I made the decision today. I've thought this through for the last several months. I know it's the Olympic year and it's an important year. But it could be four days before the Olympics. Just as long as I think it will help me be a better skater; I have to think of what will make me better on the ice.'' Instead of quoting everything, I'll just link to the loads of articles on the situation.

With the yahoo articles about the split is a photo slideshow of Michelle. There's nothing new, but you can check it out. There are 8 pictures in the show.

You can also listen to two real audio clips from Michelle's press conference. The quotes are in the articles if you can't hear the clips:

Articles:

At the Skating Tribute show on October 5 in NY, Michelle skated a new program, Fields of Gold, sung by Eva Cassidy. Check out this picture of Michelle during her program. You can also read an article about the show, Hamilton, Kwan Headline at MSG. Finally, check out these pictures from the practice the day before the show:
fldevine posted on the MK Forum that Michelle's snow globe will be in select Hallmark stores on December 10th. (Thanks fldevine!)
Check out the Chevy Skate to Salt Lake Sweepstakes, where you can win a trip to Nationals and the Olympics. There is also a nice picture of Michelle on the site.
Michelle will be among the dozens of athletes expected to attend the USOC's October media summit in Salt Lake City. The five-day event is one of the last opportunities to interview, photograph and videotape America's Olympic hopefuls, and a record number of reporters, broadcasters and other media representatives have registered to be at the event. The summit begins October 18, 2001. For more information, check out the article Sign-Ups Brisk For Pre-2002 Media Summit.
Michelle will be having another online chat on AOL on Tuesday, September 4, 2001 at 11pm EST. luenatic posted a screen shot from AOL with information on the MK Forum. Michelle last had a chat on AOL in September 1999, and has had several online chats elsewhere online as well. If you missed it, check out a transcript of chat, courtesy of Liz, luenatic, and Susan. (Thanks Liz, luenatic, and Susans!)
Check out this fun puzzle from iskater.com with Michelle! (Thanks Shallah!)
Amy e-mailed me the following Michelle mention: (Thanks Amy!) I was reading the book Princess in the Spotlight, which is the sequel to the book The Princess Diaries, by Meg Cabot. The narrator is Mia Thermopolis, who is a regular teenager in America, except for the fact that she's a princess of a small European country. She writes in her diary: "This movie raises the inevitable question, If your body was destroyed in an accident, and they had to transplant your brain into someone else's body, whose body would you want it to be? After considerable thought, I have decided that I would most want to be in the body of Michelle Kwan, the Olympic ice skater, since she is very pretty and has a marketable skill."
There are several new books by Michelle that will be out later this year. Here are the three books, which you can preorder on amazon.com:
Happy birthday Michelle! Michelle is 21 years old today, July 7, 2001. Check out my birthday page for Michelle.
Lucy25 posted on the MK Forum the following Michelle mention: (Thanks Lucy25!) Michelle Mention on Mitch Albom Show

For those of you unfamiliar with this show, it is a national radio broadcast that is shown on MSNBC from 3-5 Mon-Fri. Mitch Albom wrote the best seller "Tuesdays with Morrie" and is a sports writer based in Detroit. Anyway, on today's show he was discussing the NBA draft and the fact that the top two draftees were 18. He is against players this young being drafted, but he said that other sports have young athletes and no one complains about it. He said, "What about that tennis player so and so (can't remember the name) over at Wimbledon? No one told him he couldn't play because he's too young. What about Michelle Kwan at the '98 Olympics, no one told her she was too young..." He went on to list other examples. I found it interesting that he used Michelle as an example, since she was not the youngest skater there. It shows you, once again, how popular she is. The other people on the show said things like, "That's right" after mentioning her name, so they know who she is too.
A friend of mine e-mailed me that on Thursday, June 28, she called the Who Wants to Be a Millionaire line to try to get on the show. They ask a series of 5 questions, and one of the questions was, Put the following athletes in order of their birth starting with the earliest:

1. Sugar Ray Leonard
2. Michael Chang
3. Roberto Clemente
4. Michelle Kwan

Alison posted on the MK Forum that the Smithsonian Museum of Arts and Industries has an exhibit on Chinese-American called "On Gold Mountain." The exhibit has Michelle's second Dream of Desdemona costume on display. Shallah later posted more info on the exhibit, saying it ends September 30, 2001. (Thanks Alison and Shallah!)
Information on Michelle's long program for the upcoming season, from the June 11th LA Times article, Get With the Program. She will debut her programs at the Goodwill Games in Australia in early September. This way, she will have extra time for feedback on the programs, "Usually, my first competition isn't until October, at Skate America. This is a month earlier, and it will be good to get feedback from everybody on how they like the music and get feedback from the audience if I need to make adjustments." Her short program hasn't been chosen yet. Her long program will be choreographed by Sarah Kawahara. Michelle described the new long program as "unique and different than what I've done before," and said she will skate as a character. She is also quoted in the article as saying, "It's very important that this program is polished. I'm very close to Frank and he knows what I'm capable of doing...What Frank and I have been talking about is doing new movements. I don't want it to be like, 'I know what she's going to do next.' I want it to be, 'Oh, I've never seen her do that.' "
Michelle was at the Pearl Harbor movie premiere in Hawaii! In a Reuters article, she was quoted as saying at the post-premiere party, "What really moved me to tears was when the survivors came out onstage' for the fireworks. Everything seemed almost perfect." Check out the following pictures from the premiere: You can watch a video from the Pearl Harbor movie premiere on PR Newswire, which contains a clip of Michelle. The site contains several different formats you can watch the clip in. Grace posted on the MK Forum that Michelle says, "Yeah, I think it is going to be a very emotional event, you know, it'd be great to see everybody coming together again"
Shallah posted on the MK Forum about a contest from Disney where you can win a pair of skates autographed by Michelle. You must to be no older than 16 on 12/1/01 to qualify. For more information, including how to enter and the full rules, check out the Disney's contest page. The contest ends September 1. (Thanks Shallah!)
Another online chat with Michelle! You can chat with Michelle live during ABC's Wide World of Sports 40th Anniversary Special, airing this Sunday, April 29, 2001 on TV. The chat will start at 1pm ET on ABCsports.com. If you missed the online chat with Michelle, check out a transcript of the chat.
Michelle will be skating with many other skaters in a special tribute to the 1961 US World team on October 5 at Madison Square Garden in New York. Tickets are on sale now through ticketmaster. A portion of the event's proceeds will be donated to the USFSA Memorial Fund, which was created in memory of those lost in the 1961 airplane crash. For more information, check out the following articles:
sw posted on the MK Forum that Michelle is in the ice skating section of the World Book Encyclopedia 2001 Yearbook. There is a picture of her doing a layback from Red Violin, slong with a paragraph about her coming from behind to win worlds last year and being the first American since Peggy to win three World titles. dec5 later wrote in the post that Michelle was also in the 1996 edition. (Thanks sw and dec5!)
Erin e-mailed me the following sighting of Michelle. (Thanks Erin!)

Last night I went to the Chicago Auto Show and there on display in a case within the Chevy area were a pair of skates each signed (heart) Michelle Kwan! There were also a soccer ball and helmet autographed by other athletes, but I was thrilled to see MK represented, LOL.
Tonic posted on the FSW that in an USA Today online chat with Jeff Beck, Michelle using his version of A Day in th Life was brought up:

Los Angeles, CA: Were you aware, and if you were, what was your reaction to World Champion figure skater Michelle Kwan's choice of your version of "A Day in the Life" by the Beatles and the visibility it brought to the song?

Jeff Beck: I was aware of it -- I have a tape of her skating to it. I thought she did a great job, and I was flattered she chose my version. Check out the complete chat transcript. (Thanks Tonic!)
akemi_chan posted on the MK Forum that there was a large photo of Michelle wearing her Nationals medal in the February 7 edition of the OC Register, with an article on Women's Sports day. There was no mention of Michelle in the article. (Thanks akemi_chan!)
Munchkin2000 posted the following on the MK Forum : (Thanks Munchkin2000!)

I don't know if anyone has mentioned this, but I saw Michelle in the movie Finding Forrester tonight. No, she wasn't acting in it, but in the scene where two of the characters go to a Knicks game in Madison Square Garden, a poster of Michelle can be seen in the background. I absolutely gasped at the point, and the people I went to the movie with must have laughed at me. (No wonder! ) Anyway, I just thought I would pass along the news.
February 8 marks is exactly one year to the start of the Salt Lake City Olympics. The Salt Lake Organizing Committee plans to note the date with a celebration. Michelle will be at the celebration, where the SLOC will announce the Olympic torch route through Utah. For more information, check out Olympic Scandal Hearing in Feb.

I posted earlier that Michelle would be attending a ceremony commorating the day exactly one year before the start of the Olympics. According to the article Kwan opts out of events, Michelle won't be at the ceremony because her doctors recommend that she avoid air travel to rest her ailing back.

In the December 21 edition of USA Today, Christine Brennan wrote the article, Holiday gifts for everyone, about what to give certain sports figures for the holidays. Here's what she wrote about Michelle: To Picabo Street and Michelle Kwan: A safe journey over the next 14 months to a place you both belong, the top of the medal stand at the Salt Lake City Olympics.
littlepebbles1 posted the following on the MK Forum about Michelle having a live chat on December 19! (Thanks littlepebbles1!)

I don't think anyone mentioned this. I just got the Seventeen magazine with the piece on Michelle in it and on their Web Calendar (pg 24) under December 19, 2000, it says: "Bonus chat! Skater Michelle Kwan chats live at 7 P.M. ET/4 P.M. PT" This will be on the seventeen.com website. I looked on the website and I didn't see anything about Michelle yet, but I guess it will be there in December. According to the little picture of lips in the December 19 square, it will be a voice chat, but I'm not 100% sure. On the side of the page next to Voice Chat it says "Just download Firetalk and you can actually speak, and hear human voices, online!"

I wrote earlier that Michelle would be having a live online chat on seventeen.com on December 19. According to the site, the chat will take place at 7pm EST. For more information, read the live events section on seventeen.com. This is what the site says about Michelle:

Ice, Ice Baby

Chat with champion figure skater Michelle Kwan on Tuesday, December 19 @ 7pm ET/4pm PT.

You could simply call champion skater Michelle Kwan an ice queen. The youngest of three children, Kwan, 20, first laced up her skates at age five after watching her older brother play hockey. By seven, she'd won her first skating competition. But this California girl, who's won three world titles and snagged a silver medal at the 1998 winter Olympics, doesn't take anything for granted -- she doesn't hit the ice without her grandmother's Chinese good luck charm around her neck! She's also published an autobiography, endorsed a series of Skating Dreams books and even set up her own college scholarship! So what makes this sassy skater tick? Chat with Michelle on Tuesday, December 19 @ 7pm ET/4pm PT.

Michelle had her online chat on December 19. There was a confusion as to where the chat would be since Seventeen's site did not say that the chat would be held at yahoo.com. Hopefully, people found the correct place early enough to see the majority of the chat (I missed about the first 20 minutes of the chat.) I know a lot of people, including myself, asked about what her short program would be, but she didn't answer that question...none of my questions were answered at all, oh well. A transcript should be up soon, but here are some of the things that were talked about during the chat (paraphrased).

  • She was asked if she would be having triple/triples at Nationals, and she said wait and see.
  • She was asked if she would be surprising people with her programs next year, or if they would be "vintage Michelle", and she said to wait and see. She said she loves to try new things, and that she might dress up like an astronaut with radical hair or a shaved head.
  • She was asked if she was on a float in the Macy's Parade, and she said "no, I don't know how that rumor got started." She said she was home with her family, and cooked her first Thanksgiving dinner, but that she luckily "didn't burn the house down."
  • She was asked her how she feels about people going to the rink to watch her practice, and she said that she sometimes likes to go the rink just with Frank so that she can focus on her skating and not get distracted. She said she knows fans mean well, but she has to concentrate on her skating (or something like that.)
  • She was asked who she hangs out with on tour, and she said Brian, Elena B, and Elvis, but that she's friends with everyone.
  • She was asked what it's like to train with Timothy Goebel, and if they push each other to work harder. She said it's great training with someone who's out there doing quadruples. She said she's not exactly sure how she motivates him, but he definitely motivates her!
  • She was asked what she's learned about herself this season so far, and how she will apply it to the rest of the season. She said that every season's a challenge, and you just have to work hard and do your best, and take one competition at a time.
  • She was asked about the MKGA, and if she goes online. She said she knows about MKGA because she's received presents from them, and that she appreciates her fans. She said she goes online sometimes, but not often.
  • Before I was in the chat, she was asked about her new Disney special. She said that it's very different, like a 60 minute music video. Skaters in the special include Ilia Kulik, Dorothy Hamill, Katarina Witt and Meno & Sand.
rabasac sent me a few Michelle mentions. The first is in the San Gabriel Valley Tribune. The other, about the clothing line, is from rabasac's friend. I've never heard of this, so if anyone has info on this, let me know! (Thanks rabasac!):

In the San Gabriel Valley Tribune Newspaper (a S. California newspaper), there was an article about celebrities decorating Christmas cards for local charities. The article mention M.K. and showed the card that is made. Then there is another section of the newspaper that is for Kids. The section is called. "Yak's Corner". The article talked about what is hot and who will be doing what in the year 2001. The article mentioned about people will be seeing a lot M.K. on television as she prepares for the 2002 Winter Olympis Games.

Finally, I heard from a friend that she found out from a Chinese friend that there is a clothing line of M.K. I don't know if this true, but I'm trying to find out more info.
In the December 7, 2000 edition of USA Today, there were two pieces of Michelle news. In the Olympic Glory section, is the Winter Sports Notes, which says the following:

Michelle Kwan (Torrance, Calif.) has been experimenting with a different short program, skating to East of Eden in last weekend's Canadian Open. Kwan could switch to the new program before next month's national championships, her coach, Frank Carroll, said this week. ''She wants to see which style really fits her skating,'' he said, describing the new program as ''very flowing, very beautiful, a whole different direction.'' Coming into the season, Kwan had called on someone besides Toronto-based Lori Nichol for choreography for the first time since 1994, asking Christopher Dean -- of the famed 1984 Olympic gold medal ice dancing team (Jayne) Torvill and Dean -- for help on her short program. In that program, she skates to an Eric Clapton selection from the movie Rush. Nichol was in Southern California three weeks ago, Carroll said, to help with the East of Eden program, which Kwan used for exhibition events three years ago. It was one of several pieces of music that she and Carroll originally considered for her short program this season.
Possible Michelle sighting on Thanksgiving. I received this from tveyes.com

CBS -- All-American Thanksgiving Parade
10:50 AM
This replica of the head, shoulders and tablet of the lady is 21 feet high, 19 feet long and 15 feet wide. She's surrounded by a ring of stars and draped in red, white and blue. >> You know who's on that float? The fine -- the outstanding american figure skater, michelle kwan. She'll be competing in 2002.

I know that the CBS parade showed pieces from parades around the country. Since I've also received e-mails that this was said during the Macy's Day Thanksgiving parade in New York on NBC, I guess that's where this particular float was. People have said they they either didn't show a closeup of the float, or that the person they did show closeup was not Michelle. So, either the announcers were wrong that it was Michelle, or they just didn't show her on the float. If anyone has any other information about this, please let me know!

Update...Michelle said in her online chat that she was not at this parade, but was at home in California cooking her first Thanksgiving dinner. The commentator obviously made a mistake.

Finally pictures from the bronze statue of Frank and Michelle that I wrote about earlier. The statue is titled "Ascension Memorial". You can go to the studio's site for the statue. You can also specifically see the part of the statue that is of Michelle.
fredonia posted on the MK Forum that the New York Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum with Michelle's statue is now open in Times Square. Outside of the museum, they gave out pamphlets, which included a picture of Michelle's statue. For more info, check out the Madame Tussaud's New York section of the museum's site. (Thanks fredonia!)
Info abut Michelle's appearance at the Disney store opening in California on October 4 that I wrote about earlier. Evan sent me his home video from when he attended the Disney store opening. The video is about 15 seconds long of Michelle signing autographs at the opening. It is an mpg, and is 1.3 MB. Check it out! Also, if you haven't already, you can check out Evan's pictures from the opening. (Thanks Evan!)

Also, the local ABC station showed the event on their morning news. Here's a partial transcript courtesy of tveyes.com (part of the middle of the interview is missing, if anyone can fill in the blanks for me, let me know!) :

Ellen: We're going to peek into the brand new Disney store of the future, plus a live interview with one of the best figure skaters in the world

Philip: shopping with Mickey mouse is turning into a whole new experience

Ellen: the Disney store is getting a makeover and figure skater Michelle Kwan is there for the big grand reopening and eyewitness news reporter Kimberly
Plummer is there with her. Good morning, Kimberly

Kimberly: good morning, exciting day at south coast plaza and Michelle Kwan is here to unveil the brand new Disney store of the future. Michelle Kwan arguably one of the best figure skaters in the world. We are walking through the new Disney store this morning, quite an experience, Michelle, what do you think of the new store the new Disney store?

Michelle: it's hip, it's exciting, because you walk in and multimedia wall, and you walk in further and there's new items, and internet connections, so it's really hip. One of the things I noticed walking through the store, it looks like people... [transcript ends]

Kimberly: [transcript begins again]... and just life, like mine you have interesting story, I'm sure people want to meet you at 10:30 this morning, signing books at the Disney store, come by the south coast plaza and take a look at the brand new Disney store of the future, I'm Kimberly Plummer reporting live with Michelle Kwan in orange county

Ellen: thank you very much, does Michelle know you are a figure skater?

Kimberly: we know a lot of people in common

Ellen: pretty good in her own right we'll be back
DaBoss8808 posted on the MK Forum that there is a picture of Michelle doing a spiral from Lyra Angelica in the new Guiness Book of World Records, 2001. (Thanks DaBoss8808!)
On the final night of the of the Summer Olympics, after the closing ceremonies, NBC said they were going to take a look at what to expect during the 2002 Winter Olympics. I was hoping that meant that they would show different athletes that would be at the games, namely Michelle. They showed Salt Lake City getting ready for the games, and showed clips of past winter Olympians. Then they said, "In Salt Lake, familiar Americans return to grace the ice like Michelle Kwan," while they showed a clip of Michelle doing her end pose from Lyra Angelica in Nagano.
Michelle will be at the grand opening of a new Disney store in California on October 4, where she will also have a book signing. For more info, check out the press release for the event. Here is the info about Michelle from the press release. (Thanks Shallah!)

WHERE: Disney Store, South Coast Plaza
3333 Bristol St.
Costa Mesa, Calif. 92626
Use Anton Blvd. Entrance off of Bristol St.

GRAND OPENING OF ALL-NEW DISNEY STORE DESIGN SOUTH COAST PLAZA -- SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

Grand Opening Ceremony and Store Unveiling
10 a.m. to 10:15 a.m.
Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse will join store executives Tom Park and Doug Murphy and Skating Champion Michelle Kwan to officially open the all-new Disney Store design. Through the magic of light, music and dance, the new, innovative Disney Store will be unveiled.

Meet Skating Champion Michelle Kwan
10:30 a.m. to 11:15 a.m.
Skating Champion Michelle Kwan will be on hand to meet fans and sign copies of her books "Michelle Kwan Presents Skating Dreams: The Turning Point" and "Michelle Kwan Presents Skating Dreams: Staying Balanced." The first 100 guests will receive a free copy of one of the books.

Michelle was at another movie premiere this weekend! On September 23, she attended the premiere of the movie, "Remember The Titans," which stars Denzel Washington and opens on September 29. Check out a picture of Michelle on the red carpet at the premiere.

More info on Michelle's short program. davesato posted the following on the MK Forum:

I'd like to make a correction to my initial report about Michelle's SP Music. I suggested the music was something like Carlos Santana and/or Bob Seger and I can verify that it's neither. Last night, I discovered the 2nd half SP music and I think I also found the 1st half on the same album, but I can't be sure of the 1st half. I think telling the Song title on the internet is too much invasion of privacy, but I will tell the artist just to give you all in idea of the type of music I was trying to describe in my initial report from FSW. Eric Clapton is the musician that does part of the SP music. I think it's all (1st part and 2nd part of SP) Clapton, but I just can't be sure about the first part of the SP. Sandy also wrote a practice report on the MK Forum. Here's what she had to say about Michelle's short program runthrough: Here are the jump that she did--WARNING SPOILER-- her jumps layout are double axel, triple-lutz double-toe, triple flip, and the kwan spiral. there was a lot of footwork. the music as someone described was modern and jazzy but i like it. Her runthrough was absolutely perfect--she nailed every jump and spins. btw, her layback is much improved. she had a better arch on her back and i think she did some hand variations as well. also I saw michelle landed a couple of triple lutz triple toe which leads me to speculate that it will be her new triple triple combinations. (Thanks davesato and Sandy!)
Diane posted on the MK Forum about a Paul Wylie Interview, where he talked about Michelle. Here's what he said: (Thanks Diane!) Q: Have you had the time lately to follow eligible skating, and if so, which of the upcoming skaters have made the greatest impression on you and why?

A: I will comment on singles. Yes. Michelle Kwan is the skater of this generation; she will go down in history. I love to watch her, even if it only on a McDonald's commercial. She bothers to do all of the little things that make beauty, like turn out and stretch, and she dares to innovate with her choreography. I skated with Lori Nichol and think the world of her. Yagudin, Plushenko and Weiss all impress me because of their ability to concentrate and land all of the jumps and sell their programs. Also, I was amazed by Tim Goebel's quads at Nationals.

Michelle was at Kobe Bryant's charity bowl last Saturday. Scout posted the following press release about the event on the MK Forum: (Thanks Scout!)

Wednesday September 13, 5:55 pm Eastern Time
Press Release

ADVISORY/NBA All-Star Kobe Bryant to Host the Third Annual Kobe Bowl, Sept. 16, 2000 (ENTERTAINMENT WIRE)--

WHO: NBA all-star Kobe Bryant will be joined by Jules Asner (E! Television), Blink 182 (recording artists), Marc Blucas ("Buffy the Vampire Slayer"), Dyan Cannon, Adam Carolla ("The Man Show"), Wes Craven, Suzanne Cryer ("Two Guys & a Girl"), Baron Davis (Charlotte Hornets), Kirsten Dunst ("Bring It On"), Angi Everhart (model/actress), Brendan Fehr ("Roswell"), Andy Garcia, David Alan Grier ("DAG"), Jennifer Love Hewitt, Michelle Kwan (Olympian), Orlando Jones & Brooke Langton ("The Replacements"), Steve Lavin (UCLA head coach), Judd Nelson, Alyssa Milano ("Charmed"), Tangi Miller ("Felicity"), Breckin Myer, Michael Rappaport, Rodney Scott ("Young Americans"), Kelly Slater (champion surfer), Kristoff St. John ("The Young & the Restless"), Wilmer Valderama, Vince Vaughn ("The Cell"), Luke Wilson ("Blue Streak"), Dirk Been, Joel Klug & Gervase Peterson ("Survivor") and many, many more

WHAT: Kobe Bowl is a charity event benefiting three local agencies in the Los Angeles area meeting the needs of "kids at risk": Hollygrove, Venice Boys & Girls Club and UniCamp. Hollygrove provides residential care for children ages 5-12 who have been removed from the custody of their families by the court, usually because of abuse and neglect. Venice Boys & Girls Club provides a safe and positive environment that gives youth the opportunity to develop self-esteem, positive values, skills, character and good citizenship. UniCamp is a traditional camping program established to benefit those children of low-income families who would not otherwise have the opportunity to attend summer camp. All celebrities will be bowling with the Bowl's corporate sponsors.

CORPORATE SPONSORS:

In-N-Out Burger, Verizon, Upper Deck, adidas, Nintendo, SFX Sports, Viking Components, Mattel, Spalding, National Basketball Association, Fox Sports Net, AthletesDirect, Los Angeles Lakers, Armani, Salomon Smith Barney, Heads High Entertainment, FIJI Water and KIIS FM Radio

WHEN: Saturday, Sept. 16

WHERE: Sports Center Bowl

Michelle and her sister Karen were at the the Los Angeles premiere of the film "The Cell" on Thursday, August 17. Check out a picture of Michelle and Karen at the premiere.
I've been told that Michelle was working with Christopher Dean this past weekend (the weekend of August 5)! I'll let you know if I hear any more details.

Some more news on Michelle's programs for the upcoming season. According to the Torvill and Dean Home Page, the program that Christopher Dean worked on with Michelle was her new short program.

Also, jkovner posted on MK Forum (Thanks jkovner!)

I just saw her practice once but I was fortunate enough to see her runthrough her long program. It starts out with very deep moody violin and piano music and then it become more orchestral--it's a good program. The program's jump layout is very different from anything we've ever seen, yet it seemed to have the Lori Nichol touch so I would guess that this was not the program Chris Dean was doing. Oh, one more thing! For you with a cosmetic interest her hair is about the length that it was when she did the Mulan special. Bye!

Okay here's the deal:
--Her hair is long enough to be put into a bun, but she never practices with a bun unless she's at a competition. Therefore I have no clue if she'll put it up in competition
--Her triple toe-triple toe was not easy for her last year, but this year it is.
--I would infer from various comments and the structure of the program that she has a new triple-triple combination in the program.

More news on Michelle's new programs for the upcoming season. drdave saw Michelle practice the a few times, and posted the following on FSW

I went yesterday and today during my lunch hour. I work about 2 miles from the rink. Ironically, I also work a couple blocks next to Michelle's new home in Manhattan Beach.

Yesterday, MK did her LP, but not fully loaded. It appeared like she was stepping though it to get her timing down. The music was like something on the lines of Lyra Angelica. I don't know the exact name of the music, but it seemed classical. She did her 3lutz-2toe and that was the only combo. No 3-3 in sight yet, but during warm-ups and practice, she was really working on the 3flip and 3loop. Probably tried them each 6-7 times.

Today, MK did her SP. Again, it wasn't fully loaded and it didn't even have her trademark spiral. Probably because Tim, Amber and 5 other skaters share the ice with her and her spiral is a corner to corner move requiring lots of ice space. Her SP had the 2axel, 3lutz-2toe and 3flip. The music was much more up-tempo. The first part was jazzy with classical guitar, drums and piano. Almost like a Carlos Santana song, but I don't know for sure. The second part was recognizable, but I can't think of the performer and title of the song. I can sing it to myself, but can't place the names. I keep thinking Bob Seger, but without lyrics, it's difficult to guess. I will do a search later for it.

Again, she was working on the 3loop and 3flip. Maybe her 3-3 will be the 3flip-3loop???? Just a guess on my part. A combo of that difficulty will silence all the critics on her 3toe-3toe at last Worlds.

sw posted the following on the MK Forum (Thanks sw!)

Does anyone watch the "Today" show? My mom saw a segment on the Today show that, I guess, was about Faith Hill. It was mentioned that MK IS going to use "Breathe" for one of her programs. I don't know if it's a comp. program or exhibition, or if it will be this year or next.
Loralee e-mailed me the following info. (Thanks Loralee!)

Last night on Fox News at 10 p.m. (in Los Angeles), Michelle was mentioned in connection with a story on the Chinese-American Exhibit currently on display at Griffith Park (also in Los Angeles). The Exhibit celebrates the contributions of Chinese-Americans to the history of the United States. At one point in the news story, the journalist mentioned that the Exhibit does not only focus on the past, but includes current Chinese-Americans who have made an impact. Then, there was a shot of Michelle's black "Carmen" costume, which is part of the Exhibit, while the journalist stated, "And this is a costume worn by Olympic Medalist Michelle Kwan." There was also a very brief shot of Michelle skating under spotlights and wearing a red dress. It was not accompanied by music, so it was difficult for me to figure out the program, etc. Apparently, due to interest in and the success of the Exhibit, the Smithsonian has requested use of the Exhibit following its stint in Los Angeles.
Michelle has received another honor! A wax figure of Michelle was made by Madame Tussaud's Studios in London. The figure was unveiled on July 11 at her training rink in El Segundo. Michelle is the only skater represented with a wax figure at the new Madame Tussaud's New York museum, which will open this fall. Other athletes represented are Babe Ruth, Muhammad Ali and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Check out the following pictures of Michelle at the unveiling of the wax figure.

Also, MaryJo posted on the MK Forum that the unveiling was shown on the LA News: (Thanks MaryJo!)

Wow..I just saw a story on the news that showed the unveiling of it with Michelle next to it in the same pose...it is so good! looks just like her! She is in her Ariane costume. Even has her mole! Hope some one gets a screen capture.. It was on Channel 7 news here in LA!

Check out this real video feed of an LA News piece on Michelle's wax figure! Just go to the 55 minute mark (55:00) and see a nice piece on Michelle! (Thanks littlepebbles!)

Also, check out these screen capture from the news piece:

Happy birthday Michelle! Michelle is 20 years old today, July 7. Check out my birthday page for Michelle.
Michelle was in a show at Lake Arrowhead on July 1.
Amethyst e-mailed me the following about an ad with Michelle, which she scanned in. Check it out! (Thanks Amethyst!)

I got an advertisement in the mail today, saying it was courtesy of Newport News (I have a charge account with them) and they asked me to subscribe to Women's Sports and Fitness magazine. I was waffling on it - 12 issues for $12 automatically charged to my Newport News card if I decide to keep it AND a free all weather windbreaker... :)

Then, when I opened it up to read more about the offer, they showed 3 sample covers from the past and one of them was the Mar/Apr issue with Michelle on the cover! Now THAT was good advertising - because any magazine smart enough to show Michelle's abs to get you to subscribe is one that I will definitely go for. It's a really great marketing tool that's for sure - they've sold me!

As I wrote earlier, Michelle was at the premiere for the movie "The Kid" on Sunday in Disneyland. I saw a few things on the premiere on TV, but they didn't show Michelle. However, Loralee e-mailed me the following: (Thanks Loralee!)

Last night, Michelle briefly appeared on Channel 11, Fox News at 10:00, riding in a go-cart (or mini car) at Disneyland. I didn't see the very beginning, but ran to the TV when I heard her name. Apparently, this particular ride was just re-opened at Disneyland and Michelle was one of the many guests there celebrating the re-opening. Michelle was shown in the car wearing a black and white halter top (it may have had an animal print of some sort on it). You could only see her from the waist up, but she sure did have a super big grin on her face. She was obviously having a great time. The newscaster said something like, "And that's Michelle Kwan...one of Disneyland's special guests..."

Check out this picture of Michelle at the premiere.

Michelle will be attending the LA premiere of the movie Disney's The Kid on Sunday, June 25. Michelle has attended several other movie premieres, including Titanic, and Toy Story 2. Entertainment shows such as Access Hollywood, Entertainment Tonight, and E! News Daily usually show stuff from movie premieres, so be on the lookout on Monday for a sighting of Michelle! Disney's The Kid opens on Michelle's 20th birthday, Friday, July 7th. Read more about it
Possible news on Michelle's 2002 programs! Diane posted on the MK Forum that the New York Daily News wrote the following about Michelle (You can also read it online): (Thanks Diane!)

Michelle Kwan will get a little help from Faith Hill at the next winter Olympics. At the Seventeen/Cover Girl Volunteerism Awards in Washington, D.C., the ice queen told the country songbird that she plans to skate to Hill's current hit single "Breathe" in her bid for gold in 2002.
Debbie sent me the following sighting of Michelle. (Thanks Debbie!)

I just wanted to tell you that yesterday at my hotel, in Puerto Vallarta, I saw Michelle and Karen Kwan sitting a few lounge chairs over from us by the pool. Michelle was wearing her chinese necklace. We even talked to them, because before we realized who they were my mom wanted to know what kind of drinks they were drinking because they were served inside a watermelon.
Earlier I wrote about Michelle being scheduled to attend the Cover Girl & Seventeen Volunteers Awards on June 7th, which will be hosted by Faith Hill. I haven't been able to find anything else on it yet (though hopefully I will later today), but I might have something. On Access Hollywood yesterday, they said that on Wednesday, they would show Faith Hill doing something with "Cover Girls." Finding new cover girls or something, not exactly sure. I'm thinking that maybe they'll show the awards from earlier in the day, and possibly show Michelle as well. I just thought I'd alert you to this, just in case. Access Hollywood is syndicated, check local listings for time and station. I'll let you know tomorrow if they show Michelle.

Check out this article about the awards that was released a little after I originally wrote this update.

Michelle was on Access Hollywood! On the story about Faith Hill, they showed Faith at the awards, and they mentioned that she was there along with Olympic figure skater Michelle Kwan. A little later, they showed her with Faith and the winners posing for pictures. It was fast, but Michelle was wearing a black top (I think with spaghetti straps) and a long skirt with small flower print on it.

Dorothy Hamill was on Donny and Marie on Friday, and she mentioned Michelle. Dorothy mentioned Michelle as one of the skaters that she was on tour with. Then, Donny asked her, "So many wonderful skaters, who do you admire? Who do you look at and say, wow, they're good." Dorothy answered, "I have to say all of them. I really do. They all give something to the sport. I would say Michelle Kwan is so amazing, because, you know, she was so young when she first won her first world championship title, and she's still hanging in there for the next olympics. And it's hard to keep at that level for so long.
ToddFan e-mailed me the following about something on E! News Daily. Since TF didn't catch everything, the show is repeated at noon on Wednesday, so if you catch it and learn anything else, let me know! Here's what TF said: (Thanks ToddFan!)

E said that Michelle is joining Cokie Roberts and Faith Hill at the Cover Girl & 17 Magazine leadership (or something) awards, but I didn't catch the date etc. Patty e-mailed me today and said that she watched a repeat of the show. She said Michelle's name was mentioned at the end of a segment about Faith Hill and her Cover Girl contract. Here's the exact quote about Michelle:

Hill will serve as a host for this year's Cover Girl & Seventeen Volunteers Awards on June 7th. Skater Michelle Kwan and news woman Cokie Roberts will join Hill for the ceremony.
I don't know why I didn't post about this earlier...probably I had so much work I had to do late in the semester that it slipped my mind. But luckily there's still plenty of time. In case you haven't heard yet, Diane has her CMN birthday project up again this year. For more info, check out Diane's CMN project page. The deadline is June 28, 2000. So far, $915.02 has already been donated. Diane's hoping to get at least $2000 to donate to CMN in Michelle's name, and any little donation helps. :) Personally, I like to do some number that means something. Last year I donated $15.60, in honor of the 15 6.0s at '98 Nationals. But that's just me. ;) For more info, be sure to go to Diane's page.
Lyra1 posted this on the MK Forum. I think it's a great idea...go vote for Michelle! (Thanks LYRA1!)

Skate Radio has added a new feature called Skater Spotlight. The skater who receives the most votes will be featured on Skate Radio for an hour. This hour will focus on the skater's career and accomplishments. I believe it will even play their best programs and include memorable interviews. I think this would be perfect for Michelle because they will definitely have a lot of material to work with. I think the DJ likes Michelle allot because he plays music she has skated to daily. Please click on the link below and cast a vote for Michelle. Note: You have to register first to cast a vote.

Skater Spotlight

Michelle's coach, Frank Carroll, has a new student, Timothy Goebel. In an article in Tuesday's USA Today, Tim said the following about training with Michelle. "It's very motivating to be on the same ice with a great skater. Higher-level skating breeds higher-level skating. I'm sure we'll feed off each other."
You may remember last year I posted about Michelle and Frank being immortalized in a bronze statue (read the original article). Well, it will be unveiled later this month. IFS reports the following:

At its World Conference, May 24­27, 2000, in Orlando, Fla., the Professional Skaters Association (PSA) plans on building momentum for the sport of figure skating. "We are anticipating a record number of attendees," said Carole Schulman, PSA executive director, "and we have had over 200 people sign up for ratings exams."

In addition to preparing its members for the future of the sport, Schulman also noted that the 2000 World Conference will pay homage to skating's past, with the unveiling of a special memorial statue.

The PSA commissioned the statue in memory of six coaches who died in a 1961 plane crash. The statue features the six coaches in the background, with Frank Carroll and Michele Kwan in the foreground. "It illustrates in a very profound way how knowledge passes from generation to generation," Schulman explained. Among the coaches who perished in the crash was Carroll's coach, Maribel Vinson Owen, whom he often cites as his inspiration.

Last updated January 14, 2003

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