Michelle Kwan to Cover Olympics for Fox - Will Add 'Personal Experiences' to Broadcasts
Olympic figure skating medalist Michelle Kwan is returning to the games as a television analyst.
Fox Sports brought in the two time Olympic medalist to cover the Winter Olympics in Sochi, and possibly more outside the sport as well.
''When they asked, they were really encouraging to me to try it out,'' said Kwan to the Associated Press, who currently works for the State Department as a senior adviser for public diplomacy and public affairs. ''They said, `We are going to be innovative and fun and open to different angles,' which really attracted me. Reporting and story-telling is what they want, so for me it will interesting to kind of let the public know about the stories of athletes, or their perspectives on the Olympics.''
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NBC has the rights to Olympic coverage, and for their coverage they have hired Picabo Street, a former Olympic skiing champion who may have the opportunity to work with Kwan.
''There are so many sports to choose from,'' Kwan said, ''and I hope I will do some curling and some hockey. Maybe ask skeleton athletes, `How do you do that?' What they do is pretty scary.
''I won't be covering it like NBC would, but more doing insider stories. I also like the idea they are launching FS1 this month, and I will be able to be a part of it and see it take shape and form. And also, if I have some sort of ideas how I want to report the Olympics, I will have that freedom to do it.''
The former figure skater last reported in 2010 for the Vancouver Games.
''There is no bigger name in the sport of figure skating than Michelle Kwan, and we are delighted to welcome her to Fox Sports,'' said Rick Jaffe, Fox Sports senior vice president of news to the Associated Press.
''Not only is she the most decorated figure skater in U.S. history, but she is also opinionated and insightful, and we're very lucky to have her as part of our Olympic team.''
Most importantly she knows her experience as a skater can provide viewers with a unique experience.
''I can talk about personal experiences, how it feels to be on the ice in the six-minute warm-up, or the last few seconds you get to talk to your coach, or that split second before the music starts,'' she said. ''I know as a kid, I was watching Brian Boitano and Brian Orser at the (1988 Calgary) Olympics, and that was what I wanted to hear, too. Get inside the head of an athlete.''
Kwan won the Silver in 1998, the Bronze in 2002, and attempted a comeback in 2006, but was forced to quit after an injury.
She is a nine-time U.S. and five time world champion.
