7/2

Finally! Some Michelle skating news!!! Michelle will be skating 2 programs from August 14-16 at YuNa Kim's show, Ice All Stars 2009, in Korea! The article is in Korean, but greengal5874 posted a google translation on the MK Forum.

IB Sports, Yu-Na's management agency just announced that MK is visiting Korea to skate on ice from August 14-16 at Ice All Stars 2009. She will prepare two gala programs for this show.
"I am really glad to skate at Ice All Stars 2009 in Korea. I am really excited to appear on this special stage with talented skaters. I am really looking forward to skate with Yu-Na in her home country, Korea." said MK through IB Sports.
After hearing this news, Yu-Na excitedly said "I have admired Kwan since I was young. It's really an honor for me to skate with her on the same stage".

SO exciting!!!!

6/7

Congratulations Michelle for graduating from the University of Denver on Saturday, June 7. She received a BA in International Studies.

A couple of quotes from a great article on DU's site:

Kwan came to DU in 2006 to pursue an international studies degree from the Josef Korbel School of International Studies. She minored in political science. “It was a turning point in my life when I came to DU,” says Kwan. “From seventh grade on I had tutors while I was training and competing, and it was a big transition to go from full-time skating to full-time student.” She recalls spending the first few weeks at DU on crutches following hip surgery. 

<snip>

There are no plans for Kwan to stop traveling on behalf of the U.S. Recently, she met with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to discuss continuing her role with the State Department.  However, Kwan will still have tests waiting for her when she returns from each trip. She has been accepted to the graduate international affairs program at Tufts University’s Fletcher School.

Kwan won nine U.S. skating championships, five world championships and two Olympic medals. She is the most decorated figure skater in U.S. history. But despite all she’s done in her life, participating in Commencement is something she looked forward to for a long time. “I am so excited,” she says.

Another congrats for being accepted to Tufts grad school!

Check out this video of Michelle receiving her diploma from the local Denver CBS news!

Check out the following pics & screencaps of Michelle during the commencement ceremony

In possible comeback news, there was speculation about Michelle competiting at Skate America. The Grand Prix assignments were announced at the end of May, and some felt if a "To Be Announced" was posted for one of the ladies USA spots, then it's possible Michelle could be added later. Well, a TBA was listed for Skate America! So...who knows!

I know I still have lots of pics and such from the last few months to post. Michelle has been busy in the public eye, including attending the American Idol finale, and a Lakers playoff game, among others. I just wanted to quickly post about Michelle's graduation. :)

3/30

Hope you caught Michelle during NBC's broadcast of Worlds on Saturday! She was on 3 segments with Bob Costas and Dick Button. Michelle did great! She was asked about her possible return, and she definitely didn't rule anything out! :) She said that she's "got my triples down."

I made clips of each segment (and I was able to make them smaller today, so they are easier to download.) They are uploaded to sendspace, and wmv files. The first clips is also on youtube, but the others aren't yet.

Also, check out skatefan20's clip on youtube from the prebroadcast (on Universal Sports site that was streaming the event): Michelle saying hi to fans.

Here are a bunch of screencaps from the broadcast, as well as some from the prebroadcast

A few reports from those who were at the long program. First, from Oreo:

When Alyssa gave her terrific skate tonight Michelle and Dick (and Scott and Sandra on the other end of the arena) gave her a standing ovation. Michelle also clapped for Fumie when she did her 3 lutz combination right in front of her.

From MKGrace (the fan that Michelle waved to in the clip I just linked to)

OMG that was me and a fellow MK maniac!! We yelled we loved her etc. and she looked up, waved and smiled, and she and Dick posed for a picture I took which I'll try to post tomorrow. I also talked briefly to Michelle after the competition, got her autograph and told her we love her at MKF and she said to tell everyone hi and she loves us too. :) She is so darling. My fellow Michelle-junky friend told her she flew out here from NYC just to see Michelle (to heck with World's) and Michelle got the biggest smile on her face and said "Really?!", asked her where she was staying, what restaurants she'd been to etc.It is such an honor to be a Michelle fan.

A few other odds & ends from Worlds:

Here's a youtube video of Michelle being interviewed about YuNa Kim's short program. At the very end she talks about if she has plans to come back. Then there's another youtube video of Michelle talking about YuNa Kim's short program (Michelle is about 4:31 into the clip.)

Also, I wrote earlier about Simoner119's great fan encounter with Michelle. Well, this blog has the pic of her and Michelle. Cute!

I wrote earlier about Michelle attending the2009 Special Olympics World Winter Games in Boise, Idaho. I just found this youtube clip of Michelle & Scott Hamilton on the ice, talking to the crowd during the event.

3/28

Don't forget to watch the ladies final during Worlds this Saturday, March 28! Michelle will be doing commentary on NBC from 9-11 EST with Dick Button.

During the ladies SP on March 27, which aired on Oxygen, Michelle & Dick Button were interviewed about the ladies event. Michelle was also asked about rumors of her possible return. I capped it, but was having computer issues, so the clip is a bit bigger than I would hope. You can download it from sendspace, it's a wmv file, about 29MB. Also, check out a few screencaps I made from the interview.

Michelle has been getting a lot of press during Worlds, almost as much as some of the skaters competiting! Here's a cute picture of her waving during the Mens SP. There's been several articles written, including this LA Times article. She was interviewed by the local LA NBC news, check it out! Also, Ross (who's no longer an intern!) had a Michelle encounter. You can watch it online here or here (the first link doesn't seem to work for everyone.)

Finally, here's a fan encounter, from Simoner119 at the MK Forum, during practice:

While sitting in the stands my coach spotted Michelle across the rink in the box near the kiss and cry with Scott Hamilton. We were so far away i could hardy see her but it was still exciting. Later we went over to the Convention Center to watch practice ice, where there was a make-shift rink and a couple sets of fold out bleacher. To my surprise, i walk in to see Michelle sitting in the bleachers with Caroline Zhang watching the ladies practice. I literally sat 2 rows behind her and thought i was gonna die. She was classy as always and didn't want to sign autographs during practice so she wouldnt take attention away from the skaters. At one point a huge crowd moved away from Michelle where I discovered that Kristi Yamaguchi was also present. Michelle went over to talk to her and then the two of them sat together in the bleachers for the remainder of the practice. Afterwards she signed autographs and my friends and i got a picture with her It was truly an amazing experience.
Oh, and of course she looked gorgeous and friendly as ever, and is even more beautiful in person. Hope some of you also got a chance to see her

Glad everyone enjoyed the update, because I have more! Today I sat behind Michelle at another ladie's practice session, again she was sitting with Caroline Zhang and Karen Zhou. It was hard to even watch the practice session with the Kween right in front of me. Afterwards I went up to her and she laughed when she saw the pin I was wearing, which said "KWAN 2010" on it. She then took a picture with me, and she was pointing to my pin (I take that as confirmation of her comeback, haha)I'll definitely post these pictures but I may not be able to for a few days. Lots more of the competition to see...

Later in the thread, niteddy & Quixadar posted a few youtube videos of Michelle spotted in the crowd during that ladies practice:

synnabun posted on the MK Forum that Michelle was on Entertainment Tonight on March 26:

They did a quick thing with MK. "I'm Michelle Kwan and you're watching Entertainment Tonight" When they came back they spoke with Alissa, Joannie, Tanith, Ben, Evan and MK. It went by so quickly I've mostly forgotten what they said, lol!MK said she was asked to do DWTS (yeah, way old news) but she said (and I'm totally paraphrasing) "I'm so busy. You have to go at it with umph." and she did a cute little fist pump.

 Iskatgal then posted this link to a skating story on ET's site, and said you can see Michelle in the background when they are talking to Tanith & Ben, but synnabun said it was different than the piece shown on TV. (Thanks synnabun & Iskatgal)
3/24

I appologize for not posting this sooner. I was away for 2 weeks (same time as Michelle's Ukraine trip), and when I got back, was sick for another week. I'm just now catching up with everything!

Michelle's fourth trip as the US Public Diplomacy Envoy was to Ukraine! She traveled to Kiev, Yalta, Sevastopol, Bakhchisarai and Odessa from February 28-March 7. Check out the press release, Michelle Kwan to Visit Ukraine.

While in Ukraine, Michelle kept a blog on the state department's site, which also has some pictures. Read her blog!

Check out the following picture and videos from her trip!

Check out this great article from the Washington Post, Still on the World Stage, Kwan Keeps Options Open. A sample quote:

The answer is not as obvious as in her teenage years. She doesn't know if she can muster the single-minded determination that drove her to five world titles. Though healthier and stronger than when she left, she isn't sure her body can withstand the pounding it used to take. And, even after three months of heavy training, she remains uncertain whether she can produce her former excellence.

"I want to see how far I can push myself and then make a decision," she said. "All options are out there. I'm not eliminating anything."
2/21

Be sure to watch the ladies final during Worlds this year! Michelle will be doing some commentary on NBC with Dick Button! Phil Hersh wrote the following on his blog:

Michelle Kwan will be part of NBC's broadcast team for the upcoming World Figure Skating Championships in Los Angeles, according to Tribune sources.The five-time world champion will be joining Bob Costas and Dick Button in giving overviews and reflections during the live telecast of the women's free skate final March 28. This will be Kwan's debut as a TV commentator. Kwan had declined an opportunity to work for NBC after she withdrew from the 2006 Olympics with an injury because she said she would have felt uncomfortable commenting on skaters against whom she had been planning to compete. If her NBC debut goes well, and Kwan decides not to attempt a comeback for the 2010 Winter Games, count on her being a part of the broadcast team in Vancouver as well.

Michelle attended the Grammy Awards on February 8. She wore a full length black dress, and looked beautiful! Check out the following pictures of Michelle on the red carpet:

Michelle was part of the Presidential Delegation to the 2009 Special Olympics World Winter Games in Boise, Idaho on Thursday, February 12, which was led by Vice President Joe Biden. Here is the full press release:

Washington, DC – Vice President Joe Biden will lead a Presidential Delegation to the 2009 Special Olympics World Winter Games in Boise, Idaho on Thursday, February 12. Vice President Biden and the delegation will join approximately 2,500 athletes from nearly 100 countries worldwide, their families, as well as thousands of coaches, family members, volunteers and spectators for the largest international sporting event this year. Special Olympics programs serve more than 2.8 million people with intellectual disabilities.The Delegation will observe the Final Round of the Figure Skating Competition and the Vice President will congratulate and present medals to the athletes. Following the medal ceremony, the Delegation will visit the Special Olympics’ Healthy Athletes Event to learn about this ongoing, worldwide program in which athletes receive a variety of health screenings and services. The Vice President will then host a reception for Special Olympics athletes, their families and volunteers. The Vice President will offer remarks at the reception. The Presidential Delegation will include:Secretary of Education Arne Duncan
United States Representative Walt Minnick (D-ID)
Susan Axelrod, President, Citizens United for Research in Epilepsy; Chester Finn, President, Self Advocates Becoming Empowered; Ralph Cetrulo, President, Delaware Special Olympics; Mark Shriver, Head of U.S. Programs for Save the Children; Lisa Brown, Assistant to the President; Michelle Kwan, former Olympic Figure Skater; Scott Hamilton, former Olympic Figure Skater

 Michelle & Joe Biden were a part of the pairs medal ceremony. He gave out the medals, and Michelle gave each medalist their bouquets. A cute quote from Biden touches down, touched, "Biden took the microphone and shared with the crowd that one of his lifelong dreams had just come true: Being on the ice with Michelle Kwan and being asked to participate in the Special Olympics."Check out the following articles and pictures from the visit:

You can also watch a video from KTVB, a local Idaho station: Sitting in the stands & walking on the ice for the medal presentation

Also, the Special Olympics site has 2 videos with Michelle: Day 4 Highlights with Michelle Kwan (2/12) and Day Three Highlights with Nick Vidinsky (2/11). If those links don't work, you can just go to the Special Olympics site, click on latest videos on the side, and then select the videos mentioned on the sidebar.

Michelle sat courtside at the Staples Center for the Lakers game vs the New Orleans Hornets on February 20. Check out this Getty Image picture of Michelle at the game with Amber Corwin! (Thanks kwanatic712!)
2/1

On Thursday, January 29, Michelle, along with Brian Boitano & Evan Lysacek, did some promotion for the 2009 Worlds in LA at the Staples Center. She was interviewed and skated a little for the local stations. Check out the following video clips from the promotion:

Also, check out this LA Times article from the press event, which includes a cute pic of Michelle & Brian.

Check out these touching articles about Michelle meeting with Leah Smith, a pediatric heart transplant survivor. Both articles also have nice pictures.
1/28

Michelle's name has come up in many articles about Nationals this past weekend. These 2 articles are my favorite because they point to the possibility of Michelle skating again!

The first is this article from the NY Times. It's an article after the mens short program, and talks about looking for the next superstar & spokesman for the sport. Here is what Michelle's agent, Shep Goldberg, has to say towards the end of the article:

Shep Goldberg, a longtime agent of figure skaters and gymnasts, said the United States would not go into Vancouver without a female skater who had been anointed the next big thing. In the next 12 months, that person will naturally emerge from the pack, as one always seems to, he said.

But it is not likely that the skater will be the next Kwan, whom Goldberg represents. Kwan, who won eight national championships in a row, had the talent but also the bubbly personality that made her the perfect face of the sport. “There might never be another Michelle Kwan, but there will definitely be someone who has the skating and also the ability to light up a room,” he said, before pausing. “But Michelle still hasn’t ruled out a comeback, you know,” he said. “She’s back to intense training. Whether that could take her to the Vancouver Games, no one knows.”

intense training! That's the first time we've heard that!

Phil Hersh wrote a great article, If Kwan Returns, Celebrate. Phil writes what a lot of Michelle fans are thinking about her possible return, so be sure to check it out! Here's the beginning of the article, with an update from Michelle:

When I finished writing about the women's free skate Saturday night at the U.S. championships, I immediately began to think about Michelle Kwan.

I remembered that Kwan recently has said there is a possibility she may skate again in public for the first time since an August 2006 show and that she has not ruled out anything about her future in the sport, including a shot at the 2010 Olympics.

Since there seems little exciting about the present state of women's skating in the United States, I figured it was time to find out what she meant.

When I got her on the phone Monday, she was packing boxes in her Denver apartment, preparing to move back to Los Angeles with her 2-month-old University of Denver diploma in hand. She had spent Sunday snowboarding in Vail.

"I have been working with a trainer for two months," Kwan told me. "I'm starting to do [triple jumps] to see how far I can push myself.

"I want to get in good shape and see how far that takes me, because I don't know. But I have made no decisions whatsoever."

She also says in the article that she doesn't have any pain:

"It makes me feel so good to get off the ice and not feel sore,’" she said.  "I'm an athlete, and I'll always be an athlete.  I’m going to keep working out, on and off the ice, and we’ll see what happens."
1/20

This update has lots of info on Michelle possibly skating for the public again!

Michelle was interviewed during the January 9 Lakers vs Pacers game. rbpier posted the following on the MK Forum:

I don't know if they will reshow it. What happens at the Laker's game is that all the celebrities get these special seatings. Michelle was seated court side. I did not see who she was next to but my husband said he thought she was talking to Jack Nicholson (sp?). They show the celebrities on camera sometimes and say oh there is so and so enjoying the game, etc. And occasionally they will go to them and ask them a few questions. So the sportscaster approached her and asked her a few questions. He talked about how she said she was on the ten year plan for school. She laughed and said yes she promised she would finish and she just finished in December and moved back to LA. Then he asked everyone wants to know about the Olympics in 2010. She said she has been training on and off ice "trying" is the key word that I am pretty sure I heard, "trying to get back in Olympic shape, so, we'll see." Is how I heard it. So keep everything crossed that she will feel like she can get back competitive enough. But bottom line, they don't usually re-air those casual court-side talks and unfortunately, I was not expecting it so I did not tape it. I actually was upset with my husband wanting him to turn the game off and I looked and said, "Wait, is that Michelle??"

Grace found the game online and made an audio clip (download). Here's what Grace wrote about the clip & a transcript:

okay, the person who created the file cut her image off >.< but the audio is off (or the video)

Okay, finally got it uploaded properly, the file is really small. Audio gets cut off from the beginning, and no video given the copy I got cut MK off and is only a blip - the audio and video is out of sync, so I opted only to grab the audio file - in mp3 format. I grabbed a few screencaps of what video I was able to see. Size is only about ~260KB.

Transcript though:
MK: (cut off) Hopefully I'll be back in Olympic shape soon uh off ice on ice and we'll see.
Patrick: So you want to?
MK: It's a year from now, we'll see, I'll let you know, I'll let you know..you'll be the first to know.
Patrick: Alright. I want the answer now.
MK: (laughs )
Patrick: Apparently I'm not going to get it guys, but I wouldn't bet against her.

Here are some screencaps from the interview: (Thanks rbpier, Grace, and skatefan20)

As posted above, in the Lakers interview, Michelle confirmed that she graduated from the University of Denver. Congrats Michelle!! Also from Phil Hersh's blog, Michelle Kwan graduates:

Congratulations to two-time Olympic medalist and five-time world champion Michelle Kwan on completing what she jokingly referred to as her "10-year plan" for college. Kwan, who took her first college courses at UCLA in the fall of 1999, was graduated from the University of Denver in November with a major in international studies, a minor in political science and grades good enough to consider applying to some of the country's elite graduate programs in international relations.Last week, she was named to the President's Council on Physical Fitness, and she has dropped some hints about performing again.

The January 2009 issue of Skating Magazine had a Kids Questions column with Michelle. Check it out on their site. My favorite part of the interview:

Q: I miss you and your skating, and was sorry to see you withdraw from the Olympics. Will you ever return to compete or perform in shows? Your fans are sad because we didn't get a chance to give you a much deserved farewell.
Mae Allan, 12
Cleveland, Ohio

Michelle: I miss you guys, too! I took a long break from skating because I wanted to focus on finishing up college. I do look forward to performing again soon…stay tuned.

Hopefully soon comes SOON! Also, Bonnie scanned in the article (with several pics!) from the magazine: page 1 / page 2 (Thanks Bonnie!)

1/7

Michelle has been appointed to the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, which runs until May 3, 2010. From the council's site:

About the Council:

The President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports is an advisory committee of volunteer citizens who advise the President through the Secretary of Health and Human Services about physical activity, fitness, and sports in America. Through its programs and partnerships with the public, private and non-profit sectors, the Council serves as a catalyst to promote health, physical activity, fitness, and enjoyment for people of all ages, backgrounds and abilities through participation in physical activity and sports. The twenty Council members are appointed and serve at the pleasure of the President.

For the full list of appointments, check out CNN's site (scoll down.)

Check out this video where Michelle talks about Barbie & gives her birthday wishes for Barbie Doll's 50th Birthday! Be sure to watch the full video, the clips with Michelle are spread out throughout the video. Here's one just of Michelle. (Thanks Grace!)

Phil Hersh wrote the following about Michelle in his current blog entry, On the Tonya-Nancy anniversary, skating limps along, which I thought was nice:

But in considering why interest in the sport has diminished so drastically, especially over the past five years, I immediately think not only of the scoring system but of Michelle Kwan.

    It seems more than coincidental that the Kwan era was quietly beginning in 1994, when she was an alternate to the U.S. Olympic team.   As the sport exploded into the public consciousness, Kwan was on the verge of a decade-long run in which she became the most decorated U.S. skater in history and one of the country's most recognizable athletes.

    Kwan's (apparently?) final departure from the spotlight, which occurred when she pulled out of the 2006 Olympics with an injury, deprived skating of its only transcendant star, and no replacement has emerged.
1/4

Michelle posted on the MK Forum on December 23! She didn't start a new thread, instead she posted it in her profile. To read it, go to her profile, then scroll down and click on "last" page to see her message (hers is the 2nd to last message)! Here is what she wrote:

Hi Everybody!! It's been a long time.... I am home for the holidays. It's fun to have a chance to see all my friends and family. It seems like everybody is having Christmas parties, and I have enjoyed going to them: ) Last night I was at our family rink for our yearly Christmas show. The skaters were so adorable, they were are dressed up in Christmas costumes. It gave me a chance to turn the usual traditional roles around, as I gave a flower to each skater as they came off the ice. They sure earned it!! I am really proud to have so many talented skaters at the rink.
I am not sure what I am going to do for the New Year, but I imagine it will be pretty busy. I hope you all have a pleasant and safe holiday season!!!
See you all soon!!
xoxo MK

Many times over the years, Michelle has been mentioned on Jeopardy. On Dec 29, Michelle was again the question! WorldsGreatestMK posted on the MK Forum that the answer was "This 9 Time National Champion and Five Time World Champion Figure Skater began skating after watching her brother play hockey." We must all be smarter than the Jeopardy contestants, since none of them knew the correct response was "Who is Michelle Kwan?"! (Thanks WorldsGreatestMK!)
Check out past news from Dec 07 to Dec 08, Sept 06 to Dec 07, Feb 06 to July 06, June 05 to Jan 06, Jan 05 to May 05, April 04 to Dec 04, Sept 03 to March 04, April 03 to Aug 03, and older
Last Updated July 2, 2009

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