Michelle Kwan Biography

Figure Skater

Name at birth: Kwan Wing Shan

Figure skater Michelle Kwan is a nine-time U.S. national champion and one of three Americans in the sport's history to have won five world figure skating championships. Kwan began competing at the national level in the early 1990s. She was the gold medalist at the U.S. National Championships in 1996 and from 1998-2005. She won the world figure skating championship in 1996, 1998, 2000, 2001 and 2003. Kwan has also competed in the Winter Olympics, winning the silver medal in 1998 and the bronze in 2002. She was named to the U.S. team for the 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino, Italy, but withdrew at the games due to a groin injury.

Other famous figure skaters include Sonja Henie, Sarah Hughes and Tonya Harding.