Injured Kwan withdraws
TURIN, Italy – Michelle Kwan entered the massive news conference room dressed in a midnight-black sweater and pants, a funereal look that contrasted with the cheery Team USA sweat suit she had worn to the previous day’s media session.
Unlike the day before, there was no broad, inviting smile – in fact, there was no smile at all.
She slid into a seat at the extreme end of the dais, near the door, and spoke so softly into the microphone an Olympic official hurried over to push it closer to her.
“I wish I was here in better circumstances,” she said. “I don’t think I’ll be 100 percent, and I respect the Olympics too much to compete.”
Kwan, 25, withdrew Sunday morning from the Turin Games because of a right groin strain, abruptly ending a month-long injury drama that introduced her to the first public criticism of her 13 years in elite skating. Her decision allowed Emily Hughes, the third-place finisher at last month’s U.S. championships, to be added to the U.S. roster.
Kwan’s tearful announcement might also have signaled the end of a career defined by legendary performances and remarkable consistency, along with what was widely considered an uncommon grace in defeat.
“It’s always been a dream to win the Olympics and it’s always an honor to represent your country … but I’ve learned it’s not about gold, it’s about the spirit of it and the sport itself,” she said. “I have no regrets. I tried my hardest, and if I don’t win gold, it’s OK. I’ve had a great career. I’ve been very lucky.”
Kwan said she felt a flash of pain while attempting a triple flip during her first practice here Saturday morning. The pain, she said, grew worse throughout the day despite various treatments. Kwan decided to pull out of the Games at around 2:15 a.m. Sunday in Turin after a 15-minute examination by a USOC physician. The physician, Jim Moeller of Detroit, diagnosed a strained right groin and told Kwan she was not fit to compete.
Moeller said Sunday morning that the injury appeared to be a new one, not an aggravation of the groin injury that caused Kwan to miss the January U.S. championships.
Hughes, the reigning world junior bronze medal winner and sister of Salt Lake City gold medalist Sarah Hughes, said she likely would remain home in Great Neck, N.Y., for a few days since the women’s short program doesn’t begin until Feb. 21.
“There was always a possibility (Kwan would withdraw), but I didn’t really think about that because the Olympics had already started,” Emily Hughes said.