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!)
10/21

On October 14, Michelle attended the Women's Sports Foundation's 29th Annual Salute to Women in Sports Awards Dinner at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York. Last year, she received the Billie Jean King Contribution Award. She looked gorgeous in a Ralph Lauren purple gown. Check out this great article from the event, with lots of great quotes from Michelle. Also, check out the following pics of Michelle at the event:

nymag.com spoke with Michelle at the awards dinner, and found out some fun info!

Olympians from the Beijing Summer Games are riding high on endorsement deals, but let's not forget about our wintry athletic friends. Last night we ran into figure skater Michelle Kwan, clad in a dress by Olympic uniform designer Ralph Lauren, at the 29th Annual Salute to Women in Sports Awards Dinner at the Waldorf-Astoria. We asked if she has her own clothing line in the works, like gymnast Nastia Liukin. And what do you know? She does. Kwan disclosed she's been approached to do her own line but wouldn't reveal by whom. Perhaps the ink's not dry yet? "I've been talking about a line for younger women — athleticwear, inspired by yoga and exercise and fitness," she said. We hope her stuff has the same glittery flair as those skating leotards. Yoga classes are just so muted these days.
8/29

I'm sorry I didn't post this right after Michelle's Today show appearance. I've been having computer problems lately.

Hope you caught Michelle on the Today show on Aug 20, as it was a great interview! Michelle said that she was "inspired" by watching the athletes at these games, and that she still hasn't decided about 2010!! She said, "You have to have your heart and soul and mind to be at the Olympics. You know, I've left all doors open and I haven't closed any doors yet. So I've got to make that decision soon.”

She looked fantastic! Check out skatefan20's screencap from the interview. Also, check out Angie's screencap gallery of the interview.

The Today show's site has an article with even more quotes from Michelle about 2010! She says she will decide about Vancouver after she's finished her studies at the University of Denver in November (mark your calendar!) More quotes from the interview:

“Dara Torres is amazing,” Kwan told TODAYshow.com on Wednesday. “She’s a mother, she’s in the best shape of her life and she’s in the Olympic Games. She’s shown age doesn’t matter.”

“They say 30 is the new 40. If that’s true and I’m 29 in Vancouver, then I’ll really be 19, which is the perfect skating age.”

“I have a silver and a bronze, and you how everyone says there’s something missing?” Kwan said. “I don’t know what that is, but I feel like something is missing, as well.”

Check out the article, Kwan mulls an Olympic encore in Vancouver, which also includes a video of the Today show interview. You can also watch the interview on YouTube. (Thanks skatefan20 & Angie!)

Check out some pictures of Michelle attending the Beijing Olympics:

Also, check out cute interview on YouTube of Michelle at the Olympics. Finally, to read some more random sightings of Michelle throughout the game from blogs, check out this thread at the MK Forum. (Thanks kwak & Grace!)
8/19

Michelle will be on the Today show on Wednesday, August 20, sometime between 9-10 am on NBC. The live interview will take place in Beijing.

8/17

Michelle has arrived in Beijing! Marianne Kushi, a TV journalist in San Diego, posted on her blog about a surprise sighting...Michelle! Check out this picture of Michelle with Marianne at the Bird's Nest! (Thanks Grace!)

If you've been watching the Olympics as much as I have, you've probably seen the Coca-Cola commercial with many Olympic medalists, including Michelle! There was a small column in the August 11 edition of USA Today about the commercial:

A more special Olympics.

We think Coca-Cola's Opening Ceremonies ad should get a gold medal for its heart-warming footage of 30 athletes — four of them Special Olympics athletes — receiving medals. The "Ceremony" commercial will be the most visible Coke ad throughout the Games. It will run 12 times in prime time and 60 more times throughout the broadcasts. It's the first time that Coke features Special Olympics athletes in its global Coke advertising.

You can watch the video on the USA Today's site with the article or on YouTube.

Speaking of commercials, there's also 2 local LA commercials with Michelle for Channel 4. They show local LA newscasters, celebrities, and athletes saying "I'm 4 LA." One version has Michelle in the rink, the other has her in front of the NBC background. Watch the version of Michelle at the rink (on divshare, capped by skatefan20), and version #2 on YouTube. Also, check out two screencaps that skatefan20 made from first version: Michelle waving and Michelle skating. (Thanks skatefan20!)

7/30

Michelle has already said that will be attending the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing. She won't just be any normal spectator, though! Michelle will be among seven members of the presidential delegation to the closing ceremony of the Olympics. The delegation is led by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, and the other five in the delegation are Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao; Secretary of Health and Human Services Michael O. Leavitt; Clark T. Randt, Jr, the U.S. ambassador to China; U.S. Olympic committee president Peter Ueberroth; and Karen Hughes, global vice chair of Burson-Marsteller.

In the AP article about the honor, Michelle said, "I'm enrolled in summer classes right now: three classes, 15 units. I spoke to my professors and told them I'd have to miss the last two days because I'm part of the delegation to the Olympics closing ceremony. Luckily, they said I can make it up and turn in my papers later on. It's such an honor and so thrilling. And to be with three members of the Cabinet and Karen Hughes and Peter Ueberroth ..."

The article also states that she will be there for "nearly two weeks," so she should be there through most of the games. She said, "There are so many things I want to do. Watch basketball, of course - there are a few people I know on the team. Gymnastics, swimming - I've never seen swimming or diving in person. Volleyball and beach volleyball. I'll get to as many events I can."

This isn't the first time Michelle was named to a presidential delegation. She was also on the U.S. Presidential Delegation for the 2007 Special Olympics World Summer Games in Shanghai, China.

pookybear19 posted on the MK Forum that Michelle is in the August 4 issue of In Touch weekly! It's the "Who wore it better" feature on page 8, and it includes this picture of Michelle from the ESPY Awards. The others who wore the same dress elsewhere were Lauren Conrad and Khloe Kardashian. The magazine picked Lauren, but that's just their opinion. ;) (Thanks pookybear19!)

Michelle attended the 2008 WTA East West Bank Classic finals at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California on July 27. She sat with the CEO of EastWest bank, Dominic Ng, and was interviewed during the match on ESPN by Pam Shriver. She also presented the trophy to the winner, Dinara Safina, after the match. Check out a picture of Michelle watching Dinara Safina hoist her trophy!

skatefan20 posted the following on the MK Forum:

MK was asked what she thought of the difference between a sport like tennis and a judged sport like skating. Pam proceeded to talk about the variety of tennis court surfaces, and that segued into a discussion of the differences in ice surfaces: MK prefers skating in the US/North America - "ice is a few degrees warmer, softer" and "she gets more into the ice" whereas in Europe/Russia, "the ice is harder...doesn't respond well"

skatefan20 also made the following screencaps (Thanks skatefan20!)

Michelle also attended this event last year.
7/20

Michelle attended the ESPY Awards at the NOKIA Theatre L.A. Live on July 16, as well as "The 2008 ESPYs Giant Event," a pre-event party the day before, July 15, at the J Bar and Lounge in Los Angeles. The ESPYs air on Sunday, July 20 on ESPN from 9-11 (though, there is a baseball game on before the awards, so they may start late.) The ESPYs are repeated many times, including Monday, July 21 at midnight, 3am and 1pm on ESPN and at 8pm & 11:30pm on ESPN2.

Check out two videos of Michelle at the pre-party:

Also, check out the following pictures of Michelle at the pre-party & walking the red carpet for the ESPY Awards!

  • 2008 ESPYs Giant Event
  • ESPY Awards Arrival

    Usually it's hard to find even one picture of Michelle from the SAMMY Awards, but AKA Media Inc. has posted lots of pics from the 2008 SAMMY Awards! They have pics of Michelle & Avery Johnson with every award winner, such as this picture. They also have a group picture of all the award winners with the 2 presenters. Be sure to check out the 24 pics of Michelle on AKA Media Inc.'s flickr site! (Thanks Grace!)

    Check out this cute You Tube video of Ross (the intern on Jay Leno's show), who you may remember is a huge Michelle fan. He's writing an email to Michelle wishing her happy birthday, and in the middle, they watch Fields of Gold.

    • 7/7

    Happy birthday Michelle! Michelle is 28 years old today, July 7, 2008. Check out my birthday page for Michelle

    Once again, Michelle was at the SAMMY awards. The SAMMY (Scholar Athlete Milk Mustache of the Year) awards recognize the nation's 25 top student athletes. The awards took place at The Milk House at Disney's Wide World of Sports in Orlando, Florida. While there, Michelle was interviewed on ESPNews on Saturday, June 28. You can watch part of the interview on ESPN's site. It's a great interview where she says she will attend the Summer Olympics in August, especially the gymnastics & basketball. Check it out! (Thanks TwinnerA!)

    Another cute interview with Michelle that Grace posted on the MK Forum (Thanks Grace!):

    Michelle shout out to 'Kewl Magazine' readers. There is this cute video of Michelle saying hello to Kewl Magazine's readers. Date and location unknown. Looks to be very recent possibly at the A Time for Heroes event? Here's a link to a larger size of the video.
    6/12

    Michelle attended the "A Time for Heroes Celebrity Carnival", a family picninc & carnival for the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, on June 8 at the Wadsworth Theater Grounds in Brentwood, CA. Check out the press release about the event (Thanks Dawn!) Also, check out the following pictures of Michelle at the event:

    5/17

    On April 19, Michelle was one of the speakers at the 17th Annual Conference of the Committee of 100 in Los Angeles. The Annual Conference showcased the achievements of Chinese Americans in a variety of fields. The Chairman of the Committee of 100 said, "This year's conference reflects the Committee of 100's mission to support and promote the contribution of Chinese Americans to all aspects of society. With our unique Mentoring Program, we would like to contribute further to our society by ensuring a healthy pipeline of future leaders." Michelle was interviewed by Lisa Ling during the luncheon prior to the start of the Mentoring Program. She talked about her role as a U.S. Department of State Public Diplomacy envoy. She said, "One of my missions is to encourage young people. I'm not there to talk to them but to talk with them."

    Grace from the MK Forum was lucky enough to attend this luncheon! She wrote a fantastic & detailed report, check it out! It's a must read! Then, check out her pictures from the luncheon.

    There are also a few pictures of Michelle at the conference from the Committee of 100's site:

    clroger has posted 3 video clips of Michelle's interview on youtube. It adds up to almost 20 minutes!

    Clip 1 / Clip 2 / Clip 3

    There is also a news clip of Michelle at the conference, though only Michelle's comments at a news conference are in English: LA18 video

    For more information, check out the press release. (Thanks Grace!)

    Michelle was the keynote speaker for the 2008 USFSA Governing Council meeting in Denver, Colorado on May 2. Her appearance at the meeting was a secret, and revealed to those in attendance by U.S. Figure Skating President Ron Hershberger. In Michelle's opening address speech, she gave words of encouragement and advice to the skaters in the audience.

    Be sure to watch a video of Michelle's speech (about 14MB, wmv file), courtesy of the USFSA. Check out a transcript of Michelle's speech, typed up by mkwanrocks at the MK Forum. You can also check out this picture of Michelle giving her speech. For more information, check out the 2008 Governing Council Wrap Up. (Thanks Sylvia & mkwanrocks!)

    I wrote earlier about Michelle receiving an award at the "You Bring Charm to the World" awards ceremony in Beijing, China. Michelle did an interview the the host of the awards. KwanKat posted the following on the MK Forum: (Thanks KwanKat!)

    MK Interview on Phoenix Channel April 20th 2008

    I had been anticipating this ever since Michelle received her "You Charm the World" award last month in Beijing, and even though it's 10 days past its initial broadcast (because I kind of forgotten about it the past few days), I still like to share this video with everyone here.

    http://www.tudou.com/programs/view/EGFFTWS6ZsM/

    The video is an episode of "Celebrity Face to Face" where Michelle gives an interview to Ms. Xu Ge Hui, the emcee at the forementioned awards ceremony. Considering Ms. Xu's comments at the awards show, this interview was most likely conducted the day before/day of the awards show itself on 29th March 2008.

    The sound is a little fuzzy given that it's a flash video, but the interview is conducted entirely in English.

    I do have alternative links for those who find it difficult to watch from that site. The only reason I didn't provide this in the first place is because for some reason, the video from this one is lacking the last 3 minutes or so, well, at least it did, when I first viewed it. On second viewing, it's all fine. This link should be much faster. Just in case, to watch the missing last 3 minutes or so, try accessing it here (there of course will be a little overlap)

    Michelle has attended a few NBA playoff games. Check out this picture of Michelle attending the Lakers vs Denver Nuggets playoff game in Denver on April 28, 2008. That pic was for game 4 of the first round of the playoffs, but this article states that she was also at game 3. (Thanks Grace!)
    4/18

    Michelle attended the Billie Awards on April 15 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in California. The Billies, hosted by the Women's Sports Foundation, are named for Billie Jean King, and recognize media excellence in women's sports and physical activity while simultaneously raising funds for the Foundation. Sir Elton John performed, and others in attendance included Sharon Osbourne, Aisha Tyler, Master P., Drew Lachey, Doug Savant, Julie Foudy, Tony Gonzalez and Tracy Austin. Check out the official site of the Billie Awards, which has a picture of Michelle, and the press release, for more information. Also, be sure to watch this you tube video of Elton John performing, taken by someone at Michelle's table at the awards. About 20 seconds in, you can see Michelle singing along.

    Check out the following pictures of Michelle at the event:

    You can also check out the MK Gallery for many pictures from the Billie Awards.

    On March 29, Michelle was one of the winners at the "You Bring Charm to the World", the 2007 World Influential Chinese Persons awards ceremony in Beijing, China. Held at the Beijing University Century Hall, it honors 12 outstanding Chinese from the fields of Science, Sports, Culture and the Arts. Other winners include actress Gong Li, actor Jackie Chan, and agricultural scientist Yuan Longping. Check out the Official Awards site. You can read the translated Michelle part of the transcript for the award ceremony. You can also watch a streaming video clip of Michelle receiving the award during the ceremony!

    There are several articles in Chinese about the awards. Check out the awards thread on the MK Forum to see translations of the interviews & articles.

    Finally, check out the following pictures of Michelle during the awards ceremony:

    There were lots of pictures and other media from Michelle's trip to Argentina as the US Public Diplomacy Envoy! Check out the following youtube video clips of Michelle during the trip:

    Pictures from the trip:

    Finally, some articles & blog entries about the trip:
    3/18
    		More information about Michelle's trip to Argentina as as the US Public Diplomacy Envoy. Here is a schedule that Grace has put together from several Argentina website articles: Monday March 17:

    9:15 Meeting with athletes and Paralympic SPECIAL NEW OLIMPIADAS, who made demonstrations of inline skating and tennis in wheelchairs. (CENARD)

    11:00 Meeting with the press.

    14:00 (ICE PLANET FLOWERS - Av. Rivadavia 7431) Clinical / Demonstration of Michelle Kwan with youths from the Argentine Federation of Ice Skating and youth from low-income guests, followed by a talk on "Youth and Leadership - Concreción Dreams Sports "for all.

    Tuesday March 18:

    HEADQUARTERS OF CLUB ATLÉTICO INDEPENDENT - Av.
    Mitre 470, Avellaneda.

    10:00 Meeting with young athletes, coaches, sports leaders, students and municipal and provincial authorities. A talk on "Youth and Leadership - Concreción Dreams Sports."

    11:30 Meeting with the press. With the presence of Ambassador Wayne.

    ICE PLANET AVELLANEDA - Av.
    Hipólito Irigoyen (former Pavón) 1475, Avellaneda.

    13:30 Clinic / demonstration with youths from the Argentine Federation of Curling. A talk on "Youth and Leadership." Then there will be another meeting with the press.

    Thursday March 20:

    She will be in Parana. 9:30 and 11 hours: will provide a talk this Thursday and then a press conference, organized by Grow Productions, which will be held in the conference room Maran Suites Hotel and Towers.

    Translations of articles from Argentina:

    Check out the following pictures of Michelle holding a skating clinic at 'Ice Planet Flowers' rink in Buenos Aires on March 17:

    Be sure to check out the MK Gallery's Argentina trip album for up to the minute pictures from Michelle's trip. Also, Grace posted this video from infobae.tv, an Argentina news site. It's a montage of clips throughout Michelle's life & career so far. It's a must see! Check it out! (Thanks Grace!)
    3/14

    Michelle's third trip as the US Public Diplomacy Envoy is to Argentina! She will travel to Buenos Aires, Santa Fe and Parana, Argentina starting March 15. From the press release, Kwan headed to Argentina on envoy mission:

    As an American Public Diplomacy Envoy, Ms. Kwan promotes cross-cultural dialogue with international youth to increase understanding of America by sharing her story and life experiences. Kwan's activities in Argentina will include holding skating clinics for Argentine youth, meeting Special Olympic and Paralympic athletes, meeting and speaking with students, teachers, coaches and aspiring youth entrepreneurs working on Junior Achievement projects. Kwan will also share her experiences with women leaders as well as have an open dialogue with Argentine athletes. Hopefully we'll get lots of articles and pictures coming out from this trip, as we did with the China & Russia trips!
    1/27

    Michelle was shown on Saturday during the NBC coverage of the ladies short program at Nationals. It was a piece about Michelle being a mentor for Caroline Zhang. Michelle was interviewed next to Caroline, and they also showed her skating at her rink! You can watch the video on youtube. Also, check out some screencaps of the piece, made by Angie and another widescreen screencap by skatefan20. (Thanks Angie & skatefan20!)

    In the January 24 edition of USA Today, the color graph they had on the front page of the sports section was about number of US figure skating National titles. Of course, Michelle is #1. I actually didn't even look at the graph at first, but I saw the graphic of a skater doing a spiral, and I knew that was Michelle. That made me look to see what the graph was actually about! I scanned the graph in, check it out!

    1/16

    Phil Hersh wrote about the possibility of Michelle being a commentator at Nationals in the article Kwan could heat up figure skating coverage. Here is what Michelle had to say about it in the article:

    "I'm definitely interested," Kwan said in a telephone interview.

    That is a change from Kwan's attitude after she withdrew from the 2006 Olympics because of an injury.

    Then, she declined an opportunity to work for NBC because she would have felt uncomfortable commenting on skaters she had been preparing to compete against. Now Kwan feels she has enough distance to be an objective observer.

    "You have commentators that can be really critical and really mean, and I'm not that type of person," Kwan said. "You can say, 'Her leg was at an odd angle, and it doesn't look right,' or you can say, 'This looks ugly.' I will never be that kind of person that will criticize in a very negative way."     Later in the article: Unlike any of the commentators NBC will use, Kwan has experience trying to compete with and train for the sport's new scoring system.

    "I could give the insight about what the process is," Kwan said.    The article also says that Michelle plans to get her degree next December.

    Carrie Ann Inaba said the following in the article Dancing with the Stars' Olympic Dreams about who she would like to see on a future Dancing With the Stars season:

    So, who else would Inaba like to see? Olympic figure-skating champ Michelle Kwan. “A skater—that would be kind of awesome,” she said. However, Kwan said she’s not ready to put on her dancing shoes yet. She’s too busy with school and work to think about it right now, but she said, “I never say never. So, don’t be surprised to see me on the show one day.”
    1/15

    My 10 year anniversary posts for January 9, January 10 - the day of the long program: Lyra Angelica - January 11, and the recap are so long, I decided to put it on a separate page. You'll find 17 videos and 13 pictures there. Check it out! (I'll move the rest of the days' reports there later.)

    And if you want to see all my reports & pictures in one place, check out my 1998 Nationals page. I hope you enjoyed this walk down memory lane!!

    1/8

    My 10 year anniversary posts for January 7 & January 8 - the day of the short program: Rachmaninoff. (Hope you are enjoying this walk down memory lane!)

    I've moved the recaps to a separate "Looking back at 1998 Nationals, 10 years later" page. Check it out!

    1/6

    10 years ago this week, January 3-11, 1998, the 1998 Nationals took place at the Corestates Center in Philadelphia. 1998 Nationals was the first real competition I attended. There were so many things that made it special to me. Back then, I actually wrote detailed reports each day on my site (which was only 6 months old at that time.) I thought I would relive each day on my site when we hit the 10 day anniversary of each practice/short/long/etc of Michelle's. Hopefully you'll enjoy this trip back down memory road.

    I've moved the recaps to a separate "Looking back at 1998 Nationals, 10 years later" page. Check it out!

    skatefan20 posted the following sighting on the MK Forum: (Thanks skatefan20!)

    ESPN, Best of 'This is Sportscenter' Haven't seen a post regarding this....is this old news?

    Anyways, this special has been airing several times over the ESPN networks since the 11th. And MK's commercial from 2000 was featured, along with a brief clip of Michelle reflecting on the ad.

    Here are some screencaps from skatefan20:

    I was able to catch this on New Year's Eve, and made a clip of it for you to download. The clip is about 7MB wmv file, uploaded to sendspace. Check it out.

    If you forget about Michelle's SportsCenter ad, check out the ESPN Commercial page in the endorsement section of my site.

    Also related to ESPN, I watched ESPN's "Year in Review" special on ESPN2 on New Year's Eve, and they showed the full Michelle Make a Wish story with Dani. They only chose one of the Make a Wish stories to show, and it was this one. They also promoted it before the break with lots of Michelle clips. It was nice to get a good cry again from watching. After showing the piece as it originally aired, they said that the family got good news in October. Dani is cancer free for the 3rd straight year, and they said that the 3rd year is the most important with her cancer, so this is GREAT news for Dani.
    12/25

    Michelle posted on the MK Forum on December 24! Check it out! Here is what she wrote:

    Happy Holidays MKF!! xoxo

    Hi MKF!
    I hope that everybody is having a wonderful holiday. This month has been really fun. I have spent quality time with my adorable neices Olivia and Sophia. They are growing up so fast. Olivia has already fallen in love with figure skating!! Last year I bought her a pair of skates, and she has definitely made good use of them. My sister and brother-in-law are celebrating the holidays in Tennessee. And my brother is in Denmark. So...this Christmas it will be me, my parents...and three doggies!!!
    I head back to Denver for Winter Quarter soon. School has been a real good experience for me. Physically I am feeling 120%. I have been running, swimming, and yes...skating! I have been traveling a bit for the State Department. My next trip will be to Argentina!
    I hope that you all have a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year!!
    Miss you xoxo
    MK

    youngatheart posted on the MK Forum with a quote from Michelle in the the Jan/Feb 2008 American Girls magazine (Thanks youngatheart!):

    My young granddaughter received her Jan/Feb 2008 issue of American Girl magazine on Saturday. There is a feature story on a 10 year old skater named Sami P. (last names are never used in the mag.) There is a sidebar on the last page of the article entitled ProAdvice and it's Michelle giving 'her advice for staying positive and spirited, either on the ice or in life.'

    Michelle's advice: "You can't get anything done when you're frustrated. The emotion overwhelms you instead of being something that can help you. You have to channel that energy into something positive. If you stay positive, you're going to be able to fix that problem or that jump or the issue that you have. Instead of worrying about the negative, focus on the things that you can actually change. And if it's something that you can't change, then you know what? Realize it, and deal with it, and move on." This is accompanied by a gorgeous photo of Michelle doing her spiral. The dress (purple) looks like one from her last season - I can't be sure.
    12/19

    On ESPN the Weekend's site, they have a video with 2007 highlights of the weekend on the main page. About halfway through the video, there's Michelle in a race car! When watching the video, you'll see the ESPN Sports Zone section. After the MLB part, is Michelle's clip. It's really short, but still Michelle!

    When they had clips of last year's event on the site earlier this year, they did not have Michelle in any of the videos, even though she was there. So at least they have her in the video this year!

    Even though it's a really short clip, I made a few screencaps of Michelle from the video. Check them out!

    Last month, Michelle attended an art unveiling at the Pasadena Branch of East West Bank, which will later move to the Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art. A few pictures of Michelle at the event on November 7:

    Also, check out this article, translated from Chinese, about Michelle at the event: Kwan attended the unveiling Chinese modern art.

    Michelle attended New Orleans Hornets vs Lakers game in LA on November 6. Check out this great picture of Michelle at the game.

    babyoscar posted the following sighting on the MK Forum: (Thanks babyoscar!)

    I was just watching National Geographic the other day. In this documentary thing called The Incredible Human Machine, they played a jumping pass of MK in her blue Lyra Angelica dress for few seconds. I thought people might be interested in this information.

    The Incredible Human Machine site

    michellesmom posted the following sighting on the MK Forum: (Thanks michellesmom!)

    Some of y'all know I coach youth cheerleaders. So I'm reading an article about strength training in my new Cheer Coach and Advisor magazine, and did a doubletake when I got to:

    These were ordinary school-girls, only marginally athletic, who had no interest in becoming “weightlifters,” any more than Olympic skater Michelle Kwan, shown curling a dumbbell on the cover of NEWSWEEK in 1998, wanted to become a bodybuilder.

    She's everywhere!

    The rest of the article is here

    Not necessarily related to Michelle this year, but since she has such a history with the tour, I thought I would post that the Champions on Ice tour has been cancelled. What a sad time for skating. Check out Champions on Ice tour cancelled and Figure skating's ice gets thinner for more information.

    		Check out past news from Dec 07 to Jan 09, Sept 06 to Nov 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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