Michelle Kwan

Michelle Kwan (born July 7, 1980) is a retired American figure skater and diplomat.  She has won five world championships and nine U.S. championships. She was the United States Ambassador to Belize from 2022 to 2025.

 Birth and childhood 

Michelle Kwan was born on July 7, 1980, in Torrance, California. Kwan showed interest in figure stating when she followed Ron and Karen, her brother and sister, onto the ice, saying that all she could remember was "every day, tying up my skates and a big smile on my face, excited to go on the ice". She attended public school until eighth grade, when she began being homeschooled in 1994.

 Junior world champion 

Kwan won the world junior championship in 1994.  The same year, at the age of 13, she came in the top 10 in the world senior championship.  She became world champion in 1996, when she was 15.

Diplomatic career
On December 15, 2021, President Joe Biden announced that he planned to nominate Kwan to be United States Ambassador to Belize.

 Olympics 

 World Championships:  first place in 1996, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2003
 Olympics:  1998 - silver; 2002 - bronze
 U.S. Championships:  first place in 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005

 References 

 Other websites 


United States Figure Skating Association (USFSA) Athlete Biography 
International Skating Union (ISU) Skater Biography 
US Olympic Committee Biography
Michelle Kwan Fan Site (1) 
Michelle Kwan Fan Site (2)

Category:Figure skaters from California
Category:Olympic bronze medalists for the United States
Category:Olympic silver medalists for the United States
Category:Sportspeople from Los Angeles
Category:Politicians from Los Angeles
Category:Ambassadors of the United States
Category:1980 births
Category:Living people