Ann Curie: We get to squeeze in one more skating performance this morning as the Rockefeller Center ice rink is closing next week and look who's here this morning--5-time U.S. champion and 4-time World champion Michelle Kwan. I am such a fan. I am so glad to see you. Good morning.

Michelle Kwan: (Michelle is wearing a red sleeveless turtleneck black pants) Good morning.

AC: Well, you know we've got some rain going on this morning. Are you OK about all that?

MK: Yes, it just stopped so it's OK. I was wearing short sleeves thinking, "I've gotta skate, move around," and then it started raining and I'm thinking, "Oh, no, what are we gonna do now?"

AC: Well, you're such a trooper, and that was really revealed a few weeks ago when you won the world championship. Your coach said that it was your best performance ever. What made it so right, Michelle? (clips of Worlds long program are shown)

MK: I think that week in Vancouver was so special to me because I struggled the whole season and when it all came down to it in Vancouver, it seemed like everything went so well. I was very emotional at the end and I just let it all go and I couldn't believe that it was the best skate ever and just a wonderful experience.

AC: Also, what also seems to be going well is that you've put together some books that you're involved in for young people called "Michelle Kwan Presents Skating Dreams." Why did you decide to get involved with helping kids think about skating as a dream?

MK: Well, I was working with Hyperion and I have 5 books out right now and there should be more next Fall. It's nice beause this is a fictional character and a lot derives from my experience with my family and skating. And not only skating. I mean, a lot of girls can relate to getting into a sport, making a dream happen.

AC: All right, well, let's see you skate this morning. While you go get into position...

MK: OK

AC: (gets out paper and has to look it up and read it) ...let me tell everybody that you're going to be skating to music from East of Eden. Ladies and gentlemen, Miss Michelle Kwan!

Screams from audience, music starts

Elements in the program include:

• "Chinese" spiral (bent free leg)
• Kwan spiral (screams from the audience)
• Flying camel
• Combination spin
• Backwards spirals on each leg
• "Chinese" spiral again
• turns (I think this is what she substituted for the jumps--it was a tiny rink & raining)
• falling leaf
• combination spin, camel into sit into Y
• spiral
• turns
• new layback, the one with her hands behind her back
• slow (on purpose) scratch spin
• ends with hands extended down behind her back and face lifted toward sky

Huge thanks to michellesmom from MKF for this transcript!