Olympic Champion Peggy Fleming Gives Michelle Kwan a Replica of her Gold Ice Skating Medal

MSNBC ^ | February 22, 2002 | Lester Holt

[codebreaker]

MSNBC showed footage of a press conference and Michelle had two medals on her neck the bronze and the one given to her by Peggy Fleming.

She looked liked she was about to lose it..

[Frumanchu]

Speaking of which, did you see Kristi Yamaguchi's (who remains my all-time favorite female skater...unless Sasha does a better Bjork program:) reaction when Hughes was announced the winner? She was thrilled and screamed with excitement! SHE knew who deserved it and what a longshot it was.

[69ConvertibleFirebird]

Jack Nicklaus who gives him a membership card...

Ahhh... but remember... she didn't give her the REAL gold medal. So it would be like Jack giving Tiger a **copy** of his membership card.

[codebreaker]

I thought it was innocent, Sarah has never won anything except Skate Canada-so she didn't know where to go..

[gjenkins]

Sarah Hughs skated well enough that she should have won despite being fourth in the short program. The russian didn't skate well enough to be second which would have given the Gold to Michelle Kwan, but Sarah got gold which IMO she deserved.

[codebreaker]

This will probably give Kwan some more humility, which is good.

[Frumanchu]

Did anyone else notice how Kwan pointed at the gold medal podium directing Hughes to the right spot?

Actually, she was showing Hughes were the step was behind the podium. Sarah came to the front instead of the back to give the other competitors a hug, and then looked down like "How am I going to get up there without falling?" Michelle pointed back to the step, but Hughes just stepped onto Kwan's spot and then up onto hers (which I thought was a little tacky...but who cares:)

[Colonel_Flagg]

I'll just wait for football season to come around again.

With your screen name? You should be a hockey fan, no?

[codebreaker]

Good comparison!

[writmeister]

While I don't agree with Timmy using foul language, I too am taken aback by the some of the negative comments about Kwan. Yes, she did not win and did not deserve to win after her free skate -- Sarah Hughes earned it big time.

Yes, Kwan was disappointed -- who would be. But having watched most of her career, I have never heard her make disparaging comments about other skaters or whined about the judging ...

All-in-all, Kwan has been a classy champion for the last decade. Perhaps, some of the FR commentators could take a lesson.

[LaDivaLoca]

I beg to disagree. As for her technical skills, in case you haven't been reading the papers, the media has been on her case for not upping the ante. Oh yes, they praise her for her artistic presentation but they hammer her for her jumps which they consider not as difficult as let's say, Irina or Sarah. You must remember however, this is figure skating not figure jumping and there are other elements other than the jumps that are taken into account. Like what all skating experts will agree on, she has the overall package. But not last night.....

[HamiltonJay]

Ms Hughes clearly won the long program last night, no one else even came close... the long program counts for 2/3 of your overall score. She was in 4th after short, and 1st in long.. I am still not sure how the judging worked that she won first, though she undoubtably did the best long program.. no one was even close.

Either way, good for Ms. Hughes, congratulations.

[TADSLOS]

This just in: Terry Bradshaw to provide the Rams with brass replicas of his Super Bowl Championship rings...

[codebreaker]

My 'best moment' was when Sluttie had just finished her final program, and the camera panned on Sarah and she goes 'No Pressure-At All!'

The judges are deciding the rest of her life and she is joking to the camera...priceless, and just like a regular teenager who goes to school.

[GussiedUp]

Just heard on the news that the Russians are pulling a stunt - demanding that the judges cheated and gave Huges the gold medal over their skater and are demanding a 2nd gold - talk about poor losers. It was obvious the russian pairs weren't as good as the Canadians AND it was obvious that Hughes skating was perfect last night AND Kwan AND the Russian skater both made obvious mistakes.....

The Russians are having a hard time since they can't get away with doping these days...and they're pissed at everything - what a bunch of losers.

[Physicist]

I can just picture it. "Here's a little reminder of what I have that you'll never had. I had it made up ahead of time because I knew you'd blow it."

[baclava]

Waaaaah - who cares? I was in the other room and heard the cheering, and figuring Kwan was about to skate, went in to watch. What I saw was some little girl that looked like Blossom put on an amazing performance. I went on to watch the rest just to see if the judges would end up screwing her out of Gold somehow. Good job judges, but I thought Cohen should have taken bronze. Plus, Cohen spent the most time with her leg over her head. I think that's very important. Hell yeah Sara deserved it. Hers looked like a Gold Medal performance to me and I don't know jack about skating, aside from the crotch shots.

[LaDivaLoca]

Makes me wonder too if some of those who are so critical of Kwan know anything about figure skating or even about her at all.

As for the medal ceremony - don't know why some people are always so quick to judge others. I was thrilled for Hughes but remember, Kwan is also an American who nevertheless won another medal for the USA! I couldn't have asked for a better athlete to represent our country.