ITALY: OLYMPIC GAMES - Press conference by seventeen-year-old U.S. figure skater Emily Hughes at the Turin Olympics as replacement for Michelle Kwan

Record ID: 331765

  • Title: ITALY: OLYMPIC GAMES - Press conference by seventeen-year-old U.S. figure skater Emily Hughes at the Turin Olympics as replacement for Michelle Kwan
  • Date: 18th February 2006
  • Summary: SHOWS: TURIN, ITALY (FEBRUARY 17, 2006) (REUTERS - NO ACCESS WIRELESS) 1. U.S. REPLACEMENT FIGURE SKATER EMILY HUGHES, AGED 17, ENTERS NEWS CONFERENCE 2. CAMERAS 3. (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. REPLACEMENT FIGURE SKATER EMILY HUGHES, AGED 17, SAYING: "It has been a little bit of a whirlwind, but it's been so exciting since I got that call and I'm just so happy to be here right now. "Well you know, the Olympics is such an unexpected competition. I'm just going to go out there and try and skate my best and you never know what happens. I mean my practise has been going really well" 4. JOURNALISTS 5. (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. REPLACEMENT FIGURE SKATER EMILY HUGHES, AGED 17, SAYING: "Well after getting third in nationals, that was just such an accomplishment for me, I mean, just being able to make the world team and being able to stand on the podium at nationals and then finding out I was Olympic alternate and then finding out I was actually going to go to the Olympics, I mean it's just been amazing, because no other alternate has ever competed at the Olympics. So I figured I would just really focus on worlds because that was definite and that what my next competition was and it's next month, so finding out that I was actually going to get to come here, it's just been great" 6. NEWS CONFERENCE
  • Embargoed: 5th March 2006 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Italy
  • Country: Italy
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVA8YW2C9PPSIMQJSFKODHOOGE7X
  • Story Text: Four years ago at the Salt Lake City Olympics, Emily Hughes was an outsider looking in. The then 13-year-old was among 15,000 roaring fans at cheering on her sister Sarah Hughes, who caused one of the biggest upsets in figure skating history to capture the 2002 women's Olympic crown.
    Fast forward four years and the tables have been turned.
    Emily has unexpectedly made a late dash for Turin after fellow American and sentimental favourite Michelle Kwan had to pull out with a groin injury.
    Sarah hung up her boots in 2003, but will be in Turin to support Emily.
    Like her sister in 2002, Emily will compete at the Olympics having finished third at the U.S. nationals.
    But unlike Sarah, Emily has barely had any time to get used to the idea of being an Olympian.
    Emily was controversially left out of the team when Kwan successfully received a medical waiver to participate at the Games, in spite of missing the U.S. nationals with a previous groin injury.
    But less than 30 hours after the Olympics opened, nine-times U.S. champion Kwan announced her withdrawal and paved the way for Emily to make the flight to northern Italy.
    Emily told a news conference in Turin on Friday: "It has been a little bit of a whirlwind, but it's been so exciting since I got that call and I'm just so happy to be here right now.
    "Well you know, the Olympics is such an unexpected competition. I'm just going to go out there and try and skate my best and you never know what happens. I mean my practise has been going really well."
    She said she had been concentrating on preparations for the world championships in March.
    "Well after getting third in nationals, that was just such an accomplishment for me, I mean, just being able to make the world team and being able to stand on the podium at nationals and then finding out I was Olympic alternate and then finding out I was actually going to go to the Olympics, I mean it's just been amazing, because no other alternate has ever competed at the Olympics. So I figured I would just really focus on worlds because that was definite and that what my next competition was and it's next month, so finding out that I was actually going to get to come here, it's just been great," sai Hughes.
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