Kwan, Michelle Wingshan, 1980–, American figure skater, b. Torrance, Calif., In 1994 she won the silver medal at the U.S. National Championships and the gold medal in the World Junior Championships. She went on to compete at the highest level for more than a decade; during her career judges awarded her a 54 perfect scores. Known for her elegant, expressive, and graceful presentations, she won nine National Championships, tying (2005) 1930s skater Maribel Vinson-Owen for the most U.S. national titles. Kwan also took five World Championships, winning her first at the age of 16. In the Olympics, she won a silver medal in 1998 and a bronze in 2002; injury prevented her from competing in 2006.
See her autobiography (with L. M. James, 1997).
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