Michelle Kwan

“She's got my respect. She earned the medical exemption she got to get the olympic birth - but her practice showed she was in no position to win with it. Giving her place to someone else must have been hard, but it was the right thing to do. Emily Hughes who placed third in the US nationals deserves the shot. May Hughes she have a great skate and a fine career. Hat's off to Michelle Kwan!

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/sports/13856618.htm”

“Ped, do you really think she was 100% when she had to skate for the trip to Torino? I was against her going in the first place. Though I do respect her decision to drop out. Sad that the Hughes girl has to do this last minute. I hope she does great!

USA!!! USA!!! USA!!!”

“Word is that Hughes has not been sitting around drinking beer, but is ready to go.”

“Olympic "birth"?”

“Too bad. I think kwan is hotter”

“To quote the inestimable walkindude:

"I'd do her"”

“LOL! I think I would do kwan & replacement.”

“Aren't you in enough hot water BM????”

“for what?????”

“Whoops sorry, it was the Fridge who was in hot water. Okay back to your lusting.”

“The Olympics are for amateurs.

She should have never been even considered to skate.”

“Kwan says the "gold" is not the most important thing. Hello, but isn't the "gold" what it's all about? Isn't she stepping aside so the U.S. can possibly win the gold?

Also, I don't think she could have competed anyway in her condition, so I don't know if she is so deserving of the respect she's getting. If she participated when everyone knows and they do that she couldn't perform, she would have gone down in history for screwing up her team.

I would think that there would be no one on her team that would have spoken to her again. So in the end, she would have fallen on her butt, and been hated by her team and disliked by Americans everywhere for not bowing out like she should be anyway.”

“You might be right - or people might have been talking about how brave she was and how heartbreaking it was for her to go out on that note.

Tango: I didn't see her performance for the medical pass, so I don't know how she was. Perhaps she showed she was in pretty good form, perhaps, she got a bye because of what she'd done for US skating and what she'd do for a TV draw for the olympics. I'd like to think she earned it on the ice that day - and not just for the past 14 years.”

“I saw a story on the medical pass at the time. She was very good, very happy too. She is either very smart, has good motivations, or both. I prefer to believe both.”

“I interviewed a guy whose daughter is an ice skater in NY and practices with Emily Hughes. He said Emily is actually a better skater than her older sister, Sarah. He also said that Michelle was not going to be able to skate with her injury...that was three weeks ago.”

“Michelle Kwan did the right thing....if she was healthy...or felt healthy during the medical...then she should've been on the team. Since the injury's acting up again....she bowed out with her head held high. At least the world knows she's not a quitter.



"The Olympics are for amateurs.
She should have never been even considered to skate.” - Sarge

I wish the olympics were for amateurs also...but some countries ie China, East Germany (before the wall came down), Russia etc were using athletes that have been training their whole lifetime and have never turned pro.

Now the West are using pro hockey players, pro basketball players, pro tennis players etc....people who's making millions of $$$$$. Even the figure skaters, alpine skiers etc are getting huge endorsements...although they're not supposed to touch that money until they retire.

So the line between PRO and non-pro is blurred.”

“2 wrongs don't make a right. Losing is better than cheating.”

“Nobody cares about ice skating. Just get the hottest chicks out on the ice. The media has to create news, because the reality is so freaking boring.

Who really cares about the olympics? The human interest crap is so much pap. The talking heads should just run the footage of the events and let everyone take a nap.”

““2 wrongs don't make a right. Losing is better than cheating.”
Sarge
6:19:06 AM
2/13/06

It ain't cheating. The amateur status rules were changed years ago.”

“They need to be changed back. Everybody wants a free lunch. This is a tradition that goes way back. Leave it to a bunch of babies to change it. Takes the spirit out of the games. Now it's all about Pepsi and Fritos. Pathetic.”

“athletes that have been training their whole lifetime and have never turned pro.

Don't figure skaters gymnists train there whole life?

Isn't the difference between pro and amature kind of arbitrary? Dependent on Money only, no?”

““Olympic "birth"?”
berth

Fridge is in hot water................again??”

“Ped, no doubt it was heartbreaking for her to come this far and have to bow out. She did put on a brave face at a very emotional time.”

“I respect what she did yesterday. That shows a lot of postive character traits.

However, I don't think she should have been allowed on the team anyway. She wasn't healthy, and that's it. She wasn't prepared for this competition.

Perhaps I'm wrong, but isn't this current injury the same one that caused her to not compete in the team trials?

And, I guess I didn't know that she had to perform to get on the team. I thought she just "petitioned" to be on the team. That's the reason why I don't think she should have been allowed on the team in the first place.

Still, I think she's quite an athlete, and will be known as one of the best skaters in US history.”

“Gotta respect Michelle Kwan. I think her record is what got her the medical pass. If she could get back in shape after the trials and actually do well in the olymics, it would almost be wrong for her not to be there. But since she wasn't able, I respect her for bowing out. She has tried for the gold so much and come up short in her grand carreer. Kudos to her.”