celebrity world news summary 2011: Michelle Kwan Figure Skater

Thursday, July 29, 2010

Michelle Kwan Figure Skater

Born: July 7, 1980 – Torrance, California
Height: 5'2"
Level: Senior
Home Club: Los Angeles FSC
Hometown: Los Angeles, California
Training Town: Artesia, California
Coach: Rafael Arutunian
Choreographer: Tatiana Tarasova

Michelle Wingshan Kwan(born July 7, 1980) is an American figure skater. She is a two-time (1998 & 2002) Olympic medalist, a five-time (1996, 1998, 2000, 2001 & 2003) World champion (a record bested only by Sonia Henie) and a nine-time (1996, 1998-2005) U.S. champion (the all-time record, as tied with Maribel Vinson-Owen).

She competed at a high level for over a decade and is the most decorated figure skater in U.S. history.Known for her consistency and expressive artistry on ice, she is widely considered one of the greatest figure skaters of all time.

For well over a decade, Kwan maintained her status not only as America's most popular figure skater but as one of America's most popular female athletes, consistently making the top ten on many such polls and lists (often as the only figure skater) even years after she had stopped competing.During the decade of her reign Kwan enjoyed unprecedented popularity and amassed numerous multi-million dollar endorsement deals, starred in multiple TV specials and was the subject of extensive media coverage.She has also enjoyed similar fame in China.