| American figure skater Date of Birth: Country: USA |
Sarah Hughes is an American figure skater who unexpectedly became the Olympic champion in , surging forward from fourth place after the short program. Her free skate included 7 triple jumps, including two triple-triple combinations, and despite being nicknamed "Miss Underrotation" by journalists, she outperformed the highly praised Irina Slutskaya and won the gold medal.
Sarah Hughes is an American figure skater, specializing in ladies' singles. She was born on May 2, , in Great Neck, New York. Her father, John Hughes, is a Canadian with Irish roots, and her mother, Amy Pasternak, is Jewish. Sarah is the fourth of six children in her family. She started skating at the age of three, following in the footsteps of her older brothers who were also skaters. Her father, in his youth, was the captain of the ice hockey team at Cornell University, which is part of the Ivy League, and won the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) championship in the season. Sarah's younger brother follows in their father's footsteps and plays hockey, while her younger sister Emily, who also participates in ladies' singles skating, was a member of the US team at the Olympics in Turin. Clearly, skating runs in the Hughes family. However, in her childhood, Sarah also played the violin in the school orchestra, but figure skating won over classical music.
After her mother survived breast cancer, it inspired Sarah to support organizations that work on this issue. She appeared in a video for General Electric, promoting research on the disease. Another social project that Sarah Hughes supports is teaching figure skating to girls in Harlem, a less privileged area of New York City predominantly populated by African Americans. She has been involved with this program for over ten years.
Sarah initially planned to study medicine and become a doctor, but in May , she graduated from Yale University with a bachelor's degree in Political Science. Her first coach was Patti Johnson, who worked with her from the beginning until her first World Junior Figure Skating Championships. Sarah became the junior champion in The following season brought her two silver medals - at the Junior Grand Prix and the World Junior Figure Skating Championships in She also made her debut in senior competitions at the US National Championships in , finishing fourth. In the same year, the US could send three female skaters to the World Championships, and Sarah Hughes was able to participate since the silver medalist Naomi Nari Nam was not eligible due to age restrictions. Sarah finished seventh at the World Championships.
In the season, Sarah's achievements included her debut in the Senior Grand Prix, a bronze medal at Trophée Lalique, a silver medal at the US Championships, and a fifth-place finish at the World Championships. The following year, Sarah won three medals in the Grand Prix series, a bronze medal at the Grand Prix Final, a silver medal at the US Championships, and a bronze medal at the World Championships. These results allowed Sarah Hughes to be selected for the US team at the upcoming Olympic Games.
In a surprising turn of events, Sarah Hughes became the Olympic champion in , surpassing the competition from her fourth-place position after the short program. Her free skate included 7 triple jumps, including two triple-triple combinations. Despite being dubbed "Miss Underrotation" by journalists, she outshined the highly praised Irina Slutskaya and won the gold medal.
Due to a serious muscle injury, Sarah was unable to compete in the Grand Prix events, but she returned to the ice for the season. In , she began attending Yale University and retired from competitive skating.