The most decorated figure skater in U.S. history, Michelle Kwan has won an unprecedented 42 championships, including five World Championships (1996, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2003), eight consecutive and eight overall U.S. Championship titles, (1996, 1998-2005) and two Olympic medals (silver-1998, bronze-2002) … In the nearly 100-year history of ladies figure skating, Michelle’s five World titles and nine overall world medals (five gold, three silver, 1 bronze) in nine consecutive years (1996-2004) are all marks that have been bettered only by the immortal Sonja Henie of Norway (10 titles/11 medals/11 consecutive years) … She is the only woman in figure skating history to reclaim the World title three times (1998, 2000, 2003) … Kwan’s eight consecutive U.S. Championship titles (1998-2005) and 12 consecutive U.S. Championship medals (1994-2005) are both U.S. records … Her nine career U.S. titles tie the legendary Maribel Vinson, who won nine titles in the 1920s-30s; and her mark of 12 U.S. medals (9 gold, 3 silver) are the most in U.S. skating history … In her career she has received 57 perfect 6.0 marks in major competitions, the most of any U.S. skater in history, and any singles skater ever … She has been awarded at least one 6.0 in each of her last five U.S. Championships, a U.S. record … Her winning long and short performances at the 1998 U.S. Championships, where she received 15 perfect 6.0 marks (out of a possible 18) for artistry over the course of the event, is the most by any skater in the history of U.S. Figure Skating … Prior to the 2001-02 season, Kwan split from longtime coach Frank Carroll … Kwan and Carroll had been together since 1992 … In December 2003 she began working with Rafael Arutunian.

The youngest of three children, Kwan began skating at the age of 5 after watching her older brother play hockey … She won her first figure skating competition at age 7 … She always wears a Chinese good luck charm around her neck that was given to her by her grandmother … Kwan’s autobiography, “Michelle Kwan: Heart of a Champion,” was published in October 1997 and is now in its sixth printing … Kwan serves as a national spokesperson for the Children’s Miracle Network “Champions Across America” program and for Disney … She is a seven-time recipient of SKATING magazine’s Readers’ Choice Award for figure skater of the year … In 2003, the trophy that is given out for the Readers’ Choice Award was renamed the “Michelle Kwan Trophy” … Kwan signed an exclusive deal with Electronic Arts (EA Sports) to create the first interactive figure skating video game (Michelle Kwan Figure Skating) for the personal computer that debuted in the fall of 1999 … Has claimed a record 14 USOC Sportswoman of the Month honors … In May 2000, Kwan was named one of the “50 Most Beautiful People in the World” by People magazine … Her older sister Karen finished fifth at the 1996 U.S. Figure Skating Championships … Kwan is now an aunt to Olivia Oppegard, her sister Karen’s first child with husband Peter Oppegard, a three-time U.S. champion in pairs.

Source: www.usfigureskating.org