Michelle Kwan
Michelle Kwan (born July 7, 1980) is a retired American figure skater and diplomat. She has won five world championships and nine U.S. championships. She was the United States Ambassador to Belize from 2022 to 2025.
Michelle Kwan | |
|---|---|
 Kwan in 2022 | |
| United States Ambassador to Belize | |
| In office December 5, 2022 – January 16, 2025 | |
| President | Joe Biden |
| Preceded by | Leyla Moses-Ones (chargé d'affaires ad interim) |
| Succeeded by | David Hodge (chargé d'affaires) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | July 7, 1980
(aged 45) Torrance, California, U.S. |
| Height | 5 ft 2 in (157 cm) |
| Spouse(s) | |
| Children | 1 |
| Residence | California, U.S. |
| Michelle Kwan | |||||||||||||
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| Traditional Chinese | 關穎珊[1] | ||||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 关颖珊 | ||||||||||||
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Birth and childhood
Michelle Kwan was born on July 7, 1980, in Torrance, California. Kwan showed interest in figure stating when she followed Ron and Karen, her brother and sister, onto the ice, saying that all she could remember was "every day, tying up my skates and a big smile on my face, excited to go on the ice".[2] She attended public school until eighth grade, when she began being homeschooled in 1994.[3]
Junior world champion
Kwan won the world junior championship in 1994. The same year, at the age of 13, she came in the top 10 in the world senior championship. She became world champion in 1996, when she was 15.
Diplomatic career
On December 15, 2021, President Joe Biden announced that he planned to nominate Kwan to be United States Ambassador to Belize.[4]
Olympics
- World Championships: first place in 1996, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2003
- Olympics: 1998 - silver; 2002 - bronze
- U.S. Championships: first place in 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005
Michelle Kwan Media
Michelle Kwan performing her signature spiral at a practice session at the 2002 U.S. Figure Skating Championships
Kwan completing her Scheherazade long program at the 2001–02 Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final in Ontario, Canada
Kwan performing her short program at the 2002 Winter Olympics
Kwan announcing her withdrawal from the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy, February 12, 2006
Kwan in Singapore, January 2011
Kwan with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in 2022
Kwan at the Special Olympics Massachusetts, September 25, 2010
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References
- ↑ (in zh). Sina Corp. January 20, 2013. http://dailynews.sina.com/bg/news/int/chinanews/20130120/17344175280.html. Retrieved March 9, 2016.
- ↑ "CNN Programs - People in the News". cnn.com. Archived from the original on 22 November 2010. Retrieved 18 October 2010.
- ↑ Brennan, Christine (1996). Inside Edge. New York: Scribner. ISBN 0-684-80167-1.
- ↑ "President Biden Announces Key Diplomatic and Agency Nominees". 15 December 2021. Archived from the original on 18 December 2022. Retrieved 16 December 2021.
Other websites
Media related to Michelle Kwan at Wikimedia Commons
Quotations related to Michelle Kwan at Wikiquote- United States Figure Skating Association (USFSA) Athlete Biography Archived 2005-04-24 at the Wayback Machine
- International Skating Union (ISU) Skater Biography Archived 2005-03-30 at the Wayback Machine
- US Olympic Committee Biography
- Michelle Kwan Fan Site (1) Archived 2019-12-22 at the Wayback Machine
- Michelle Kwan Fan Site (2)