Michele Kwan Drops out of Turin Olympics

Michele Kwan’s 12-year affair with the Winter Olympics came to an end over the week-end because of a new (or perhaps old) groin injury. The one medal she hadn’t won, Olympic gold, slipped through her fingers forever. After a special dispensation from the skating powers that be, she was practicing for one last stab at it, and she realized she wasn’t going to be at her peak. With grace, she withdrew from the competition, where she shouldn’t have been in the first place.

Ed Swift at Sports Illustrated asked the big question, “Should Kwan's petition for an Olympic spot have been granted by the USFSA [United States Figure Skating Association] in the first place after she’d missed the entire Grand Prix season in the fall with a hip injury and the US Nationals in January with the groin injury?” No, absolutely not. She wasn’t the best (or event third best) on the day, and that should have been that.

However, figure skating is rather subjective anyway, and the USFSA has chosen teams in the past on criteria that were elusive to say the least. It reminds one of a sorority rather than a sporting body, picking the popular girl rather than the talented one. Thus, the injury to Ms. Kwan’s right hip adductor rights a wrong, but not really.

Her replacement is the young lady who finished third at Nationals and whose spot was taken by the USFSA to give to Ms. Kwan, Emily Hughes. Ms. Hughes has been robbed of marching into Olympic stadium with her teammates, robbed of the cheering crowd, and has only been given what she won by an act of God, which is not the same thing as by the USFSA.

However there is some hope for the sport, given the grace (almost but not quite overly sweet) that Ms. Kwan and Ms. Hughes showed for one another in this mess not entirely of their own making. Ms. Hughes, gracious in victory, said “I think it was fair that Michelle had all the opportunities to make the Olympic team.” And Ms. Kwan said, “I’ve learned that it’s not about the gold. It’s about the spirit of it. It’s about the sport itself. I have no regrets. I tried my hardest, and if I don’t win the gold, it’s OK. I’ve had a great career and I’ve been very lucky. I’ll miss the sport. It’s beautiful.” Pity that it’s in the hands of people who haven’t the grace or decency to lace either woman’s skates.

The Danish flag appears here as a protest against the violence being done to the free press of that country and elsewhere by those offended by some cartoons of the Prophet Muhammed, peace be unto him. A perceived insult is not an excuse for intimidation and violence, even in the name of the Creator. One cannot insult God, only small-minded men who falsely claim to speak for Him. © Copyright 2006 by The Kensington Review, Jeff Myhre, PhD, Editor. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written consent. Produced using Fedora Linux.

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