caption country fullname birth_place formerchoreographer height formercoach birth_date residence image article_title retired
michelle kwan , 2010 united states michelle wingshan kwan torrance , california , united states tatiana sarah kawahara , peter oppegard , karen kwan , christopher tarasova dean , lori nichol , nikolai morozov , 5 ft 2 in rafael arutyunyan , frank carroll , scott williams 7 july 1980 rhode island michelle kwan special olympics 2010 2.jpg michelle kwan
 2006
michelle kwan

michelle wingshan kwan -lrb- born july 7 , 1980 -rrb- is an american figure skater .
she is a two-time -lrb- 1998 and 2002 -rrb- olympic medalist , five-time -lrb- 1996 , 1998 , 2000 , 2001 and 2003 -rrb- world champion and nine-time -lrb- 1996 , 1998 -- 2005 -rrb- u.s. champion -lrb- the all-time record , as tied with maribel vinson-owen -rrb- .
she competed at a high level for over a decade and is the most decorated figure skater in u.s. history .
known for her consistency and expressive artistry on ice , she is widely considered one of the greatest figure skaters of all time .
for well over a decade , kwan maintained her status not only as america 's most popular figure skater but as one of america 's most popular female athletes .
during her reign kwan landed numerous major endorsement deals , starred in multiple tv specials and was the subject of extensive media coverage .
from 1997 to 2005 , she was the u.s. figure skating association 's top-paid skater in appearance fees and prize money , as well as one of the highest paid winter olympic athletes in endorsements .
kwan was also the highest paid skater on the champions on ice tours .
