Ode to Michelle Kwan

I had been waiting to post about this until after I found out who this year's figure skating champion was. However, I haven't even been home long enough to watch the women's free-style skate. It's really beginning to frustrate me. I don't know how I've gone for 2 weeks without learning who the gold-medal winner is . . . Well, actually, I just avoided newspapers and news sites . . . It really wasn't as difficult as I thought it would be.

So please, please, please don't spoil it for me. I'll get around to watching the Olympics on our DVR. I hope.

For now, I just wanted to say that Michelle Kwan will forever be the best figure skater. I'm so sad that she never won the gold medal. She is pretty much the best, and everybody knows it. She has the technical stuff down, and a lot of other skaters do, too. But her elegance on the ice is phenomenal, and I don't think anyone else can top it. She makes skating look so good. And her style? Impeccable. (I really do think that figure skaters should be judged on their costumes and song choice.) For your enjoyment (Lexia), I'm posting images below on Kwan's prominent style progressions . . .

I'm still reeling after the whole Nagano upset. When you think of a champion figure skater, who do you think of? Do you remember the women's figure skating winner of the 1998 Olympics, or do you remember Michelle Kwan's nearly flawless performance? (The winner was Tara Lipinski, by the way. I haven't heard of her much lately. Au contraire with Michelle Kwan, though. She keeps getting better.)

Anyway, I just wanted to say that I think she's the best, and I'm sorry that she won't be in any future Olympic games. Goodbye, Michelle Kwan. You made figure skating great!

Okay, now for the outfits . . . Here she is in the classic 15-and-under skating attire -- beads and puffed sleeves . . .


This is her Indian phase -- my favorite of all her looks:



Here, she is moving towards minimalism . . .


Which reaches it's climax at the Nagano Olympics:


This is her short-hair stage. And an intro to the "adult" look she begins to have after the Salt Lake Games.




I would've loved to find an image of her in her Pocahontas outfit. And I would've loved to see what her outfits would have been in this year's Winter Games . . .

Thing I'm thankful for: That my dad packed me apple sauce and cookies for a snack today.