OT Michelle Kwan

mks22300 · 02-12-2006, 12:05 PM

I don't know about anyone else, but I was very sad when I heard the news that she had to pull out of the Olympics. I always loved watching her perform on the ice. She's so beautiful and graceful. Hopefully our other girls will perform well.

brendajos · 02-12-2006, 05:14 PM

i am sad for her but i have to say that i don't like that she took someone's place on the team and then withdrew. I know that it was better for her to do so to keep from aggravating the injury further but it still bugs me a bit. Thankfully the girl who got displaced on the team after nationals does get to compete now. Would have liked to see her get one more shot at the gold though. :(

Cristy · 02-12-2006, 05:30 PM

did she pull out for sure--last night at 11:00 I heard that it was still undecided...I've been at church and haven't seen a newspaper or anything...

Ingrid · 02-12-2006, 05:36 PM

I thought the same thing so I looked it up on Netscape. She dropped out.

Jan in CA · 02-12-2006, 06:33 PM

I have mixed feelings on this. I do feel bad for her, BUT isn't it time for her to move on and give another young woman a chance to compete? I loved watching her, but I think there should be a limit as to how many times they can compete.

wewantmore · 02-12-2006, 06:50 PM

I have to say I was pissed when she made the team. And even more so that Emily has a short time to get ready.

I thought it very selfish of Michelle to push to make the team. I do commend her for dropping out today then to 'wait it out' like some commintators thought she should do.

Michelle

WynnieG · 02-12-2006, 06:52 PM

I'm not sure about limits - if they can compete, they should.

However I echo brendajo's sentiments. While I think they should compete if they can, I do not think Michelle's entry onto the team was handled properly. If she couldn't show up to skate Nationals, she shouldn't have made the team. This "special dispensation" business was harmful - not only because it was an affront to protocol and the established rules for determining the champions that represent us in the games, but because it may have materially hurt the chances of Emily Hughes, the young woman who actually EARNED the right to be there this year.

Emily, who lives in the NYC area, now has to try to get to Torino while nearly every airport on the upper eastern seaboard is closed down for the blizzard. If she can't, she's not on the program, and her Olympic dream - hers by right, she earned it - will be toast. And even if she gets there in time, what has all this nonsense of Kwan's done to Hughes' mental game? For an athlete of her caliber, that focus is crucial to success.

I am very happy for Emily, and I hope she comes through this trial by fire with a medal around her neck.

Michelle Kwan *is* a beautiful skater, and it's been a delight to watch her grow up on the ice. However the selfish motivation to usurp a skater who earned her berth on the US Team has materially damaged her with me. She won a bronze, she won a silver; Kwan may not have ever captured gold, but how many people in this world can boast two Olympic medals, five world championship medals, and nine US championships? Not too many. Instead of cheating another skater of her chance at Olympic glory, Kwan should have bowed out gracefully, her dignity and the world's good opinion of her intact, because it's just tarnished now by this last performance.

murep · 02-13-2006, 01:10 AM

In response to the hoopla concerning Kwans departure from the competition, its admirable that she made a decision that felt best for her and that perhaps supporting the athletes instead of bashing them might help in the overall effort of mainting some team moral. While I and I'm sure many would cherish the opp to see live competition the greatest disappointment is to see them fall because of an injury. If it can be prevented and another athlete is there to represent then, instead of kicken up some gruff support more athletic teams and stop the hootinany cause we know you home like a couch potatoe makin commentary. And if another athlete is pressed for time and travel support don't you think if the team had some extra finance an additional team member would have been selected to attend as a sub, or another PT on the road is always nice. I'm sure there must be dozens of accredited PTs who could have possible prevented the injury in the first place. Or at least helped keep it from causing so much drama. Kudos to Kwan and the entire team!

dustinac · 02-13-2006, 02:35 AM

Originally Posted by brendajos

i am sad for her but i have to say that i don't like that she took someone's place on the team and then withdrew. I know that it was better for her to do so to keep from aggravating the injury further but it still bugs me a bit. Thankfully the girl who got displaced on the team after nationals does get to compete now. Would have liked to see her get one more shot at the gold though. :(

yep what she said...

mks22300 · 02-13-2006, 03:38 AM

Well, remember Nancy Kerrigan got into her final Olympics the same way that Michelle Kwan did (actually, Nancy bumped Kwan off the team then). Hopefully Emily will be able to make it Torino in time to get some practice in. I don't think that women's figure skating is until the last week of the games.
Speaking of figure skating, way to go to our pairs team for landing the first ever throw triple axle in the Olympics!

Is anyone else as confused as I am when it comes to those jumps? How the heck do they do which one is which? Oh well, they're impressive to watch!