| donate | news | forum | arts | sports | blog | advertise | about |
A True ChampionSuccess is measured in more than gold medals.By HENRY LUUFebruary 25, 2010 Nick Jr., the children’s television network that brought us Blue’s Clues and Dora the Explorer, recently announced the release of a new episode of Wow! Wow! Wubbzy! that will have an Olympic theme. It will feature none other than the famous Michelle Kwanzelberry, the greatest WuzzOlympian in WuzzOlympic Games history. That’s uber cute, but there’s sort of a problem. The greatest WuzzOlympian in history has never won gold. But is that really a problem? I think not. In television interviews with Michelle Kwan, it seems that news anchors have to pay particular attention in introducing her as a “two-time Olympic medalist,” not champion. She has won silver and bronze, but not gold, so she can’t be called a champion. But I’m happy that Nick Jr., the least likely of defenders, has taken the liberty to name her the greatest Olympian in history. Her achievements have far surpassed most other athletes who were able to secure gold. Kwan, who did take gold in five world championships and nine US championships, has been the face of figure skating for well over a decade. The child of working class immigrants from Hong Kong, she has a story that diverges from the stereotypical Asian American path: instead of hitting the books, she hit the ice. By winning pretty much every skating match out there in the course of her competitive history, she has become a household name in the US. Kwan has been part of the Olympics since 1994, when she was only 13. In every Winter Games she went in hopeful but left disappointed. In her first Games in ’94, she was relegated to alternate position in favor of the national embarrassment that was Tonya Harding. Every Olympics after that she was the favorite for gold but came up short for one reason or another: in Nagano, because of what I think was a fluke; in Salt Lake City, because of one unfortunate mistake; and in Torino, because of an injury. Despite these setbacks, Kwan has maintained grace and poise. She got back up, brushed off the ice, and continued to compete, year after year. In her competitive career, she has garnered 42 championships in all levels and has achieved 57 perfect 6.0 marks in major competitions under the old scoring system, miles ahead of any figure skater in the US or the rest of the world. Perhaps it may have been a blessing that she never won Olympic gold. With this final missing prize eluding her time after time, she has not given up, remaining in figure skating and dazzling audiences with her programs for years. All of the Olympic gold medalists she did or would have competed against — Oksana Baiul, Tara Lipinski, Sarah Hughes and Shizuka Arakawa — took the medal as something of an early retirement package, left the competitive scene soon after their wins and dissipated into history. Kwan has remained in the spotlight and continued to deliver. Kwan’s is a story of endless determination. She came back over and over again to reach her goal, and while she left empty-handed each time, she has kept a smile on her face and maintained hope for the future. She didn’t award herself a “platinum” medal to feel better, she didn’t criticize her rivals. She simply wiped the tears, held her head high, and kept trying. That, I believe, is what makes her the greatest Olympian in history. She embodies so many characteristics of a quality athlete: dignity and humility, respect for fellow athletes, undying determination, and the patience to stay in the game, year after year. She is the definition of Olympic spirit. As strange as it may sound, I feel that our experience at Harvard bears much resemblance to the Olympics. We are at the top of the academic game, hailing from around the world. We set high goals and high expectations and perform under pressure. We are pitted against each other, but we still encourage and support each other and make friends. To be successful, we need to have the same Olympic qualities as Kwan: dignity and humility, respect for fellow students, and the determination and patience to stay strong all four years. Moreover, Kwan’s Olympic quest is particularly inspiring and bittersweet because she was already a cut above the rest. She reminds us that even champions struggle—an idea that should be of particular interest to us on this campus. We were champions of sorts to get here (putting aside any sense of arrogance or elitism this statement may connote), but it is important to remember that there will still be struggles. There will be trips and slips. The best we can do is keep trying, remembering not to let perfectionism drag us down, and hope for the best. Following her defeat in Salt Lake City, Kwan made her final Olympic appearance on the ice with an exhibition program to Eva Cassidy’s “Fields of Gold,” a heart-wrenching and both aesthetically and emotionally beautiful piece that she put together as a tribute to those who have had dashed hopes and dreams—irony in the extreme, as she had arranged this exhibition program long before the 2002 Olympic disappointment. She finished the skate in tears but left us with an image of grace, dignity, and great inner strength. Kwan is in Vancouver right now—not competing, but commentating. She decided to forego another chance at the Olympics and has settled just two T-stops away from us at the Fletcher School at Tufts, choosing to pursue her master’s degree in law and diplomacy. She was named a US Public Diplomacy Envoy by the State Department a couple years ago also, and does that as a side job. There is life after figure skating after all. Perhaps she has found fields of gold elsewhere, and will undoubtedly continue to bring glory to herself and the nation. Henry Luu ‘11 (henryluu@fas) is a devoted fan. 12 Responses to “A True Champion”Leave a Reply |
MOST POPULAR
Sex Issue Online! |
Michelle Kwan will always be Olympic gold. She represented the US with pride and grace.
I couldn’t agree more. Well said.
Well said! Thank you! Michelle Kwan embodies the Olympic spirit and is a true champion in every sense of the word. On the ice, she has given multiple performances for the ages – performances that are a source of inspiration, comfort, joy, to so many. She touches audiences in a way that is truly unique. And the way she conducts herself off the ice is just as inspirational. What a gift she is!
A beautifully written tribute to one of the greatest sportsperson ever. Your high opinion of her is indeed echoed by millions. Michelle Kwan is a young woman of amazing grace and courage. I have never seen her anything less than poised, gracious, beautiful, eloquent, smart, humourous, and humble. I have watched her since she came to England to compete in the 1995 Worlds. I still remember the heartrending big, loud sobs (she was, like, 14 years old) she made after a gobsmacking display of precocity that left the commentators spluttering in their praise and wonder. The rest, as you say, is history. I am so pleased that she has risen other challenges, in the academe and the stage of diplomacy and media. There is no doubt that she will succeed in anything she turns her head to with her intelligence and determination. She WILL, as you say, go down in history as one of the greatest and most loved athelete and person in the world.
Thank you for acknowledging the grace of Michelle Kwan.
Having been an ardent fan of figure skating for over 50
years, I have experienced no pleasure in it as great as
in the decade that Michelle skated for us. Beyond her
athletic and artistic gifts was an incredible ability to
include her audience in her joyous skating experience -
she always moved me. Had she won Olympic gold in 1998 and/or 2002, I would have been delighted for her, but it
wouldn’t have increased my enjoyment of her talent.
Wonderful and spot on!
My adoration for Michelle Kwan is not only because of her skating. I love and respect her a lot because of who she is. Michelle had reached the top without any blemish on her character, something that is unheard of in this world we live in. You are right Henry, MICHELLE KWAN IS THE TRUE CHAMPION. One of a kind!!!
Fabulous article, thank you!
Wow! wow! wow! This article brought me to tears. The world misses the beautiful skating of Michelle Kwan. No one else conveys the feeling of flight when she skates. She will always be the skater that ended the 6.0 judging system. Now it’s all technical elements and predictable routines.
Michelle not winning the gold represents the ultimate unfulfilled dream for millions of skaters wanting to become a great skater. This makes her story both bittersweet and particularly inspiring in hopes that those dreams can be fulfilled one day. Though I’m sure she skated to win gold, her real motivation came from her unapologetic passion and love for the sport. That’s what kept her in even after her heartbreaking disappointments and why she makes a great role model for everybody.
Very nice, the written equivalent of a Michelle Kwan routine. You elegantly summed up why she is and always will be the greatest skater and sportsperson. Not only is her skating elegance and emotive quality unparalleled, it is matched by her class and graciousness off the ice. To top it off, has she ever looked bad off the ice? In action or physical appearance? She has my respect and admiration forever, and it feels good that I am not alone in that.
Thank you for a beautiful artice about Michelle, an outstanding athlete and beautiful person!
I have followed Michelle’s career since she first competed at Nationals. I’ve admired her competitive spirit and the way in which she always seemed to compete to her own high standard, always giving of her best.Both gracious and respectful toward others, regardless of her placing on the podium. Michelle is an example for anyone striving to succeed in sport or any other area of their life. What a great representative for her sport and the USA.