Sarah Hughes
(1985 - )
Sarah Elizabeth Hughes was born May 2, 1985 in Manhasset,
NY and grew up in Great Neck, NY. Sarah is the fourth of six children.
She began skating at age 3 when she saw her two older brothers and sister
skate. The figure skating world begun noticing Sarah in 1998 when she
won the US Junior Figure Skating Championships at the age of 12. She
qualified for the World Championships the next year where she finished
seventh. She made it to the podium for the first time at the 2001 Worlds
where she took the bronze - finishing behind Irina Slutskaya and Michelle
Kwan. A year later, the three skaters would be on the podium together
again, but Sarah would be the one at the top, wearing the gold medal.
Despite Michelle Kwan being the "favorite" for the figure
skating gold medal at the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics, Sarah's final
skate was nearly perfect and featured seven triple jumps, more than
any other skater. She beat Kwan, and won the Olympic Gold at age 16.
In addition to the Olympics, Hughes has won a variety
of awards and honors including the 2002 Sullivan Award Winner, 2002
USOC Sportswoman of the year, March of Dimes 2002 Sportswoman of the
Year, Woman's Sports Foundation 2002 Sportswoman of the Year, and was
placed on IFS Magazine's 2001-2002 25 Most Influential Names in Skating
List. She was Nominated for 5 ESPY awards (2001-2002) (winner, Best
Olympian), and in 2002 she was nominated for a Teen Choice Award.
Hughes just finished her freshman year at Yale University.
She enjoys playing the violin, reading, and playing tennis. She plans
to study medicine in the future. Her favorite quote is "When you
work hard you have fun."
Sources: Kidz
World;The
Unofficial Sarah Hughes Webpage; Photo Courtesy of: Photos
On Ice |