In 1994 Michelle skated to Song of India and East of Eden. This was an Olympic year, and the year that Nancy Kerrigan was injured just before the US Nationals. Michelle was still a skinny little jumping bean whose artistry wasn't very mature, but her skating held many promises.

With Nancy out of the Nationals with her knee injury, Michelle ended up winning a silver medal. Normally, the top 2 or three skaters ( the number of US ladies going to the worlds depends on the results of the Worlds the year before) at the nationals are the ones who go on to represent the USA at the Olympics. This year there were only 2 spots available, which would have made Michelle eligible to go.

But because Nancy was hurt by no fault of her own, and was making strides in her rehabilition, the USFSU voted to send Nancy and Tanya Harding with Michelle as an alternate. If Nancy for some reason couldn't skate, Michelle would. But Nancy was able to skate so Michelle was unable to be an Olympic participant that year.

The 1995 - 96 Skating Season was a whirlwind for 16 year old Michelle. This year, she won 14 out of the 19 competitions that she competed in. This was the year the skinny little jumping bean found her artistry and wowed the world with the complete package. Grace, elequence, maturity and to this day and unmatched artistry. As a matter of fact, shortly before Sergai Grinkov died, he and his wife Katia were discussing the amazing and graceful Michelle Kwan who seemed to change overnight.

This was the year she got into character and made us see and feel that she was who she skated. Her short program was Romanza and her long Salome. Salome is a piece of music based on the Biblical story of Herod's step daughter, Salome, who was convinced by her mother to dance for the King in return for John the Baptist's head on a platter. Her coach, Frank Carroll had heard this music years before and saved it for someone special to skate to.

That someone was Michelle. Packed with great jumps, graceful and expressive hand movements and her magnificent spiral, Michelle won the 1996 Nationals and Worlds.

The 1997 - 98 skating season was a time of reflection for Michelle. In 1997 she did something she had never done before...she fell during competitions and came in second in the US Nationals and the Worlds. Many of us asked ourselves if this was the end..or decline that we had seen so many other skaters experience. She started to dread skating..the joy that she had always felt was missing.

Michelle looked deep inside herself and contemplated what was happening. For one, she realized that skating and winning was not the be all and end all of life. She had recently experienced the death of Carlo Fossi and the announcement of Scott Hamilton's cancer. She saw how Katia Gordiava had lost her husband,and still went on.

She realized that there was more to life than winning and found a new joy to her skating. She started to get excited, as she did as a child about getting to the rink and putting her skates on...rushing onto the rink. Not to win, but to skate.

And to the amazement of all of us, she, her coach and coreographer Lori Nichols, came up with 2 new spectacular almost spiritual programs. Her short program was called Rachmonioff and her long Lyra Angelica (Angels Song). With renewed confidence Michelle again( as in 1996) took the skating world by storm obtaining 15 6.0's perfect scores at the US Nationals.

She was breathtaking and joyous as she skated her heart out and thrilled us all, even with a stress fracture in one of her toes. One of the judges, Joe Inman, even suprised himself by giving her a perfect score of 6.0 for artisty for Rachmonioff. He mentioned to friends afterwards that he had never given any skater a 6.0 and would never do it again. The next night, as Michelle skated to Lyra Angelica he was so moved. Joe looked to the judges on either side of himself and they, both men, were crying. As tears of beauty and joy streamed down his face, he did what he claimed he would never do again. He, along with 7 of the other judges, gave her perfect scores of 6.0.

Article About Perfect Score

The 1998-99 Figure skating season was a time of change for Michelle. From her new short hair style, to her darker more dramtic figure skating programs, Michelle continued to skate at the top of her game. Her short program this year was skated to selections from Carmen-Suite. Carmen has always been a popular choice for figure skaters, but Michelle and her choreographer picked out bits and pieces to put together a dramatic and different program.

Carmen
Michelles long program this year was called Ariane because it had selections from Ariane by composer Jules Massenet. This was a lovely, graceful program, yet it showed the powerful athleticism and attitude that Michelle has.


Pic by Sports Illustrated
Ariane
With these programs, Michelle won, among other competitions
US Figure Skating Championships--GOLD World Figure Skating Championships--SILVER

During the 1999-2000 figure skating season, Michelle proved once again that she could skate to any kind of music and carry any type of program. This season Michelle's programs where " A Day in the Life," originally written John Lennon and Paul McCartny, version by Jeff Beck for her short program, and "The Red Violin" for her long. This had selections from the music written for the movie "The Red Violin," Composed by John Corigliano. With these spectacular programs Michelle again proved she was the best female figure skater in America, and the world, by winning Gold at the 2000 World Figure Skating Championships and 2000 US Figure Skating Championships.

Pic By Rebecca Patrick

Day in the Life

The Red Violin

The 2000-2001 season was once again a whirl wind of competitions for Michelle. For some reason, she decided to use two different long and short programs for various events. My favorites were East of Eden and Song of the Black Swan. These were the programs she skated to in the 2001 Worlds Figure Skating Championships and the 2001 US Figure Skating Championship. And yet again, and of course, she won gold in both.

East of Eden

The Black Swan

The 2001-2002 season

10/26/02 - Michelle wins her Seventh Gold Medal & Title at Skate America!

December 2002- Michelle, unexpectedly, and without wanting to, became eligible to skate in the 2003 Grand Prix Final. (GPF) February 1, 2003 - Michelle decides not to compete at the GPF. Check out my GPF page link below for more details.

Michelle GPF Page

2002 - Congratulations to Michelle For winning her Seventh World Championship Medal !!!

2002 World Figure skating Championship Articles

January, 2003 - Michelle has won her 5th World Championship Title!

Not only has Michelle won her 5th Gold World Championship medal, she also set two new national records in the process. Michelle is the only female figure skater to regain the World Championship title three times, and the only American figure skater to win 8 World medals. With two wonderfully moving programs,The Feeling Begins and Aranjuez, Michelle did what she does best. She skated from her heart, and won the hearts of most of those who watched her. This included the judges, who gave her straight first place ordinals and three 6.0's.

Dick Button was so amazed, he applauded for her after both the short and the long programs, as he sat in the announcing booth. As a sports announcer, Dick Button, a 2 time US Olympic Gold Figure Skating medalist, is suppose to be impartial. But he couldn't help it. Neither could Peggy Fleming, one time US Olympic gold medalist, 3 time world champ. Both let forth soft laughs that translated said "Oh how awesome, she moves my soul." They were almost speechless. Watching Michelle skate is something that often makes many of us speechless. Check for more 2003 MK Worlds info at the link below.

2003 Michelle Kwan Worlds Page

Congratulations to Michelle who has won her
7th US National Title
This is her 6th National Title in a row! Michelle skated first in the last group, and she received her 28th 6.0, perfect score at nationals, the only 6.0 this competition! For the exibitions, Michelle skated a beautiful and moving program to Eva Cassidy's " Fields of Gold."


Check out my 2003 Michelle Kwan Nationals Page for links to articles, pics and video's of Michelle's brilliant performances that can be downloaded for free!

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