Homeward Bound

But truthfully, that is the least of it. Seldom has an athlete's sorrow been felt as acutely by those who have covered her career, indeed by pretty much everyone who has shared it up close or from afar. U.S. Olympic Committee chairman Peter Ueberroth made a remarkable introduction before Kwan took the stage to share her painful decision. “Michelle Kwan means more to the United States Olympic Committee than maybe any athlete that has ever performed [for it],” he said.

That covers a lot of terrain, a lot of legendary athletes. But Kwan is truly special, beloved because she has proved time and again to be sport's ultimate class act. And that is a legacy that trumps such transitory matters as the color of the Olympic medals she has won

© 2006