Kwan looking for better than perfection

Web posted February 11, 1998

By Dennis Sodomka
Morris News Service

NAGANO - Michelle Kwan skated as close to perfection as anyone ever has in her last outing at the U.S. national championships.

Now she wants to do even better at the Winter Olympics.

"I think I skated very well in Philadelphia,'' she said Wednesday after her first practice since arriving in Japan. "But we went home and worked on the details. If I didn't skate well at the Olympics and still won, I wouldn't be as happy.''

Kwan's coach, Frank Carroll tried to soften the perfectionist image a bit.

"We are here trying to be the champion, not necessarily perfect,'' he said. "A skater can't always be perfect.''

"But I can be better,'' said Kwan, staring down the coach.

That exchange typifies what has driven the 17-year-old high school senior to the top of the figure skating world. She is never satisfied with less than her best. She never settles.

That's why she has made changes in the routine that brought perfect scores from all but one judge at the nationals. She is putting the triple toe back in the program. She had dropped the triple toe for

the triple flip after she suffered a stress fracture in her left foot and the triple toe hurt more when she landed.

Now she says she's healed and ready to go back to the jump she has more confidence in.

The runaway favorite for a gold medal in women's singles, probably the premiere event of the Winter Olympics, Kwan said she doesn't necessarily feel any extra pressure.

"A lot of people have confidence in me winning the gold medal,'' she said. "I enjoy being the Olympic favorite. But there are a lot of other good skaters out there from the United States and other countries. My goal is just to skate well and do my program.''

Kwan hopes to lead a couple of those other skaters from the United States in a medal sweep next Wednesday and Friday. Tara Lipinski finished second at the nationals and Nicole Bobek was third.

Kwan is comfortable making changes to herself and her program in her quest for perfection. She was the Junior World Champion in 1994 but struggled the next year.

"I knew the judges were telling me something,'' she said. "I needed to grow up and be more mature. So I went back and paid attention to my artistic side.''

She also started using makeup for the first time, and "lost the ponytail.''

In 1996 she was the world champion. When she faltered in 1997 and lost the world championship to Lipinski, Kwan had to fight the doubters and revamped herself again. That paid off with the great performance in Philadelphia.

Though she has a coach, choreographer and her parents, she knows the pressure is squarely on her to perform.

"I never liked counting on anybody,'' she said. "I think I'd kill my pairs partner if he made a mistake.

"It's a little different when you're out there all alone, ready to skate. You don't think about anything else.''

Until the competition Kwan will practice and make the most of her Olympic experience. She missed the opening ceremonies because she wanted to stay home in Torrance, Calif., to continue receiving therapy on her foot. In Nagano she is staying in a hotel with her parents to have more comfortable, familiar surroundings.

"I think I'll have the full Olympic experience,'' she said. "I'll be going to the Athlete's Village and spending some time there. I'll just walk around, maybe shop.

"It's overwhelming. Being at the Olympics? Wow! When I walked in the rink I had this huge smile and I was almost in tears. Seeing the Olympic rings and all of the signs throughout Nagano is a great scene.''