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Kwan looks to 2002
NEW YORK (AP) -- In the weeks after winning the silver medal at the Olympic Games, figure skater Michelle Kwan thought about turning pro, following longtime rival and gold medalist Tara Lipinski.So Kwan did a little personal survey, talking with skaters like Brian Boitano, Peggy Fleming and Nancy Kerrigan who had taken their Olympic medals into professional shows.
"I asked some people about it," she said. "They knew it was over. For me, it's not over. I do what I want to do and I think I can do a lot more."
So Kwan skates on in the current Champions on Ice tour and in July and August at the Goodwill Games. These are what the International Skating Union has sanctioned as eligible events, allowing her to take the prize money and still qualify to skate in the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City.
The timing -- she will be 21 -- and the U.S. venue all appealed to Kwan. And most of all, there were her memories of the Nagano Olympics.
"I remember when I stepped in the arena for the first time," she said. "It was a mix of feelings and emotions. It was one of the biggest highlights of my life. There were things I'll never forget. It was a feeling. It felt so perfect. It was everything I dreamed about. There was an aura to it.
"When I skated over the Olympic rings, I thought of when I started skating and how I dreamed of this moment."
The memory of that moment convinced Kwan to stick around, despite the loss of Lipinski and the rivalry that had spiced national and world competitions as well as the Olympics.
In some ways, she will miss the challenge.
"It seems like I've competed against her a million times," Kwan said. "I like competing against the best skaters, and the best competition is when you beat the best. That's how it should be. It was a big rivalry. We were always 1-2 and they always compared us."
Now they will skate their separate ways.
"People have different goals in skating," Kwan said. "For some, it is to win the Olympics. For me, it's so much more. When I was younger, I thought Olympic gold was everything. It's not that way. I don't think all my focus is gold. For me, it's the love of the sport and how you feel when you're skating. I love skating and competing."
At the Goodwill Games, Kwan will skate against a field that includes Irina Slutskaya and Maria Butyrskaya, the Russians who finished 2-3 behind her in the World Championships, as well as Nicole Bobek, bronze medalist at the last two national championships. The men's field includes five-time U.S. champion Todd Eldredge and current world champion Alexei Yagudin of Russia.
Kwan feels secure in what she's done.
"I'm proud of what I've accomplished," she said. "Some days I wake up and say, 'Gee, I'm the world champion and the national champion, and the Olympic silver medalist.' Sometimes you don't realize how much has happened already."