Again, to get back to Dick Button, the process is not remotely fair or respectful to all the nominees around the world. So MK fans should be happy, but someone who waited 50 years to be recognized is passed over and over. That is en pointe. The rest, I don't think worth the bandwith to repeat. To each, whatever.
Congratulations to Michelle on this recognition for her iconic skating career (but wait a minute, I can't remember remember her officially announcing retirement? Is it possible?...).
More than even the performances and the string of titles, the thing I find most impressive about Michelle is how she left hearbreak behind and maintained her positive outlook, seeking to become a better, more useful person and citizen.
The lesson she embodies for young people is this: we cannot control the gifts that the gods may (or may not) lavish upon us. But the striving, both on, and as importantly, off the ice, is our choice, and is personally more important than the achieving.
Michelle is a Director and very involved in the Special Olympics. She has been for quite a few years now. She is beginning to make her way doing the things that she finds important to do. Who knows what 5 years will bring. I doubt she can even answer that question right now. But, I bet she will do it her way.
As for falling off the podium the last year she competed, we must consider how very badly she was injured.
Congratulations on her induction into the World Hall of Fame. It is well deserved. She did a lot for the sport and it still hasn't recovered from her move to the second chapter of her life.
No rant that I see. You said it best in a short a time and very well. MK was elected for what she has done for skating and how she has handled herself afterwords. While Oksana Grishuk had a very impressive carrerr , after that she got her breasts augmented and has her nude pics all over google....Mr. Pitt and Ms. Jolie may not have great intellects, but they have worked to some extent to help causes they believe in. I know not what MK's intellect is, be we do what we can do, as well as try and live our lives and have fun too. I have no great intellect, but I like to think I helped alot of police out with their radio problems over my life, and contributed to charities I though worthy. And now I am having fun.Originally Posted by demarinis5
I know many with great intellect that have ruinned this country. Like MM said, Let us wait and see where MK goes from here. I dare say she will be worth more to this society than most. And as for DC being problematic, we have met the enemy, and he is us. We let them do all the bad things.....Dont blame DC cause we are a nation of cowards that wont even insist on a constitutional ammendment to make women equal to men or make sure no corporation is considered an "individual". (insert your cause here) Finally, "having a beer with" is just an expression meaning spending time with a person and getting to listen to them. MK is, after all, a person just like we all are. She just has certain talents and has seen and done alot for her 31 years. (I would be happy to educate her in the finer points of NorthWest microbrews, though)
Thanks, Ladybug. Though I was already proud of Michelle, I'm heartened to hear that she has started to help other people. I'm going to hunt online to learn more about her role with the Special Olympics.
And, as others have said, her inspirational value is very important, too.
When I was listing some of my heroes who have helped change the world, I forgot to mention Viktor Petrenko, who is still active in a children's hospital in Ukraine and has a history of helping people on an individual basis, including of course Oksana Baiul.
Chris, let's tag team. You explain about the microbrews, and I'll tell her all about the best chocolate.
Last edited by Olympia; 03-15-2012 at 09:17 AM.
Congrats Michelle.....
Wow bring up negatives. Michelle came in 3rd in the short and long at her last worlds while injured and skating COP for the first time to only wind up 4th place (wrongly once again if you ask me).
I mean really are you mad at Michelle. Did she do something to you to bring up a negative right now.
Last edited by lavender; 03-15-2012 at 09:49 AM.
Here is how Michelle's gig as a goodwill ambassador came about. Michelle was invited to attend a state luncheon at the White House in honor of the visit of President Hu Jintau of China. It is a tradition at these social events to include accomplished American citizens of Chinese descent. (Kristi Yamaguchi was invited to a dinner for the Prime Minister of Japan the same year.)
http://www.asianbite.com/AsianAmeric...yingshan_4.jpg
At this luncheon she struck up a friendship with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. Rice had been a skater herself as a teenager and remained a fan of the sport. As the guests were leaving, Michelle said to Ms. Rice, "If there is ever anything I can do to serve my country, please call on me."
To Michelle's great surprise, two weeks later Secretary Rice did call and said, “How would you like to serve as a goodwill ambassador and visit some select countries meeting with children in schools, orphanages, fledgling skating and athletic programs, institutions for handicapped children and the like? This is a volunteer post (I just created it) with no salary. One point of your visits will be give inspirational speeches to general audiences and to show the world that America is not such an evil place after all; for all its faults and failings, the United States is still a land of opportunity where a daughter of an immigrant family can rise to the top of her field of endeavor through talent, family and community support, and hard work.
http://www.state.gov/img/10/37138/20...eoul_600_1.jpg
Yes, this opportunity for service came her way because she was a famous athlete. No, her responsibilities do not include negotiating a treaty with Iran about inspecting nuclear facilities. (Although it is worth mentioning that a substantial number of the graduate students that Michelle hobnobbed with at the Fletcher school are rising young stars in politics and government in Asian and Middle Eastern nations,)
As for “falling off the podium “, Michelle competed in twelve world championships, earning medals nine consecutive times while constructing a body of work that, taken in its totality, has no peer or rival.
Should she have retired one year sooner, in consideration of the worsening condition of her hip injury? Maybe so. But I am glad she did not retire two years sooner. If she had, we would be the poorer for never having seen her 2004 nationals Tosca LP or her 2004 worlds SP performance of The Feeling Begins.
Here is is, all 2:41 seconds of it
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=snYDB9VEdbo
(Before everyone starts criticizing, no she did not go past her music. The music dies to a whisper in the last few bars and could not be heard in the arena. The cut was too long, though, and Michelle got dinged with a time deduction. Oh well. An artist must suffer for her art.
Last edited by Mathman; 03-15-2012 at 04:49 PM.
Me TOO!
No one could have said it better, Math.
I can only add, if Michelle didn't want to retire a year earlier than she did, why should she have had to? She didn't take a spot from anyone else, because if there had been a skater better than she at Nationals, that skater would have beaten her. When she ended up in fourth place at Worlds, she still finished high enough up to help retain spots for three Americans in the Olympic year. (What wouldn't we give for an American lady to finish fourth at Worlds this year? Last year? The year before that?) And, as it turned out, all three of those spots went to other skaters in Torino. I don't see how any of this detracts from the luster of her career.
I'm not sure where Dick Button comes into this.....
^ Actually, there is already a thread about Dick Button's letter, if anyone should like to continue that discussion.
http://www.goldenskate.com/forum/sho...S-Hall-of-Fame
Thanks Mathman for the link to Button thread (hehe) Heyang will find it most illuminating and I thank Dick for being a trailblazer in every aspect of skating. Sometimes he can be caustic but he was the best guide we had, a historian, and unafraid to say unpopular truths. He truly loves skating.
I agree MK followed her heart and did well skating, leaving great performances. While I was happy re USHOF news, it is sad to hear what Dick explained about non-existent world hall of fame. Seems like Dr larry runs the show and he wanted Mk this year. I would have preferred the old, nearly forgotten, get glory this year. MK could wait. How rare is it to get solely indutced to both halls same year? Sorry OP, no offense or rain on your parade. Have you read the Button expose of the FSHOF? required reading.
Sugar crash, to be continued to clarify.
I think only once before, Scott Hamilton in 1990.
But there have been many years that only one person was elected to the World Hall of Fame. Belousova and Protopopov, 1978; Herma Szabo (one of only four ladies in figure skating history to win five or more worlds championships. The others are Sonia Henie, Carol Heiss, and Michelle Kwan
I am so proud of her! First she's the sole inductee into the US Hall of Fame and now she's the sole inductee into the World Hall of Fame...in her first year eligible and rightly so!
Everyone knows what kind of skater Michelle was in the US, but her string of consecutive world appearances and medals is nothing short of stunning, especially when you see how the world medalists tend to change and rearrange every single year nowadays. To have that many strong performances at worlds is incredible and is a testament to the longevity and consistency that personifies Michelle Kwan. Five gold (1996, 1998, 2000, 2001 & 2003), three silver (1997, 1999 & 2002), one bronze (2004) and two 4th place finishes (1995, 2005) over the course of a decade...remarkable and untouchable.
Michelle is such a blessing and I'm SO proud to have witnessed all of those moments (good and bad) throughout her amazing career. Congratulations to the KWEEN!! First the US hailed the KWEEN...and now the world shall hail the KWEEN!!
Me too!
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