Citing stiffness in her groin injury, Michelle Kwan withdrew from the Olympics earlier today. The team doctor recommended the withdrawal, as her injury had worsened.
Emily Hughes (younger sister of gold medal figure skater Sarah Hughes) has already been placed on the team. I thought alternates usually travelled with the team, but apparently not, since Hughes is snowed in in New York, due to heavy blizzards.
Michelle Kwan will leave Turin to avoid being a distraction.
Actually, it is a new injury, not a re-injury. I gathered from something they said on TV that it is an important distinction as they had to petition to get Hughes on the team, even though she is listed as alternate. If it had been the same injury I think it would have been more difficult to get Hughes on the team.
Everything I’ve read said that it was a tightness in her groin injury, that it was better and then the long airplane ride aggravated it.
This is from usfsa.org:
“During training yesterday, Ms. Kwan injured her adductor muscle in her right hip, commonly called a groin strain,” Moeller said. “This injury limits her function making it impossible for her to jump, land and skate effectively and without risk of serious injury.”
Moeller added that it is his opinion that the injury is unrelated to prior injuries that Kwan experienced, and she is expected to make a full recovery.
Thanks for passing that along. It still seems a little convenient that it is a “new” injury that is the same as her “old” injury. At the very least I would imagine that without the old injury she might not have received this injury.
In the interview with Bob Costas (go to the NBC site, and the interview is on the top right), she said that she was already feeling stiff before she even practiced. And she said “after pulling my groin again”.
I think she was “well” before. I think she and everyone who examined her thought she was fine. But I think it’s pretty easy to reinjure a groin pull, even if you thought you were 100%.
well you are right, I’m sure it’s a matter of semantics that has to do with whatever the rules are to get an alternate on the team. I think they have to say it’s new or they get screwed somehow.
Michelle Kwan’s try for the elusive gold medal didn’t pan out. Once a champion, always a champion to others that look to her for inspiration and the U.S. Olympic Team.
She has a lot of grace and poise to allow another person to step in in her place and try for gold.
Why continue to push and make the injury worse and possibly wind up either in a wheel chair, walker or on crutches for life when bowing out protects ones health for the future.
I can’t believe some of the negative blogs out there saying that Michelle is a quitter. She has more respect than they have for others and the games integrity to the other competitors on the U.S. Team. Bah Humbug to those who leave negative comments.
Thanks,
Mike Watson