Without ever putting her blades on the ice, Michelle Kwan made the US figure skating team heading to the Turin Olympics with national champion Sasha Cohen right by her side.

Kwan missed the US Figure Skating Championships with a groin injury. But the selection committee gave the nine-time US and five-time world champion a medical bye on Saturday night, placing her on the team with Kimmie Meissner.

She made it ahead of third-place finisher Emily Hughes, who was designated an alternate along with Katy Taylor.

"I am very happy that US Figure Skating approved my petition to be nominated to the Olympic Team. At the same time I can empathize with how Emily must be feeling because I was in a similar situation in 1994," Kwan, who was in California, said in a statement.

"I appreciate the faith that US Figure Skating has placed in me. I am confident that I will be fully ready to compete at the Olympics and look forward to representing the USA in Torino."

Kwan finished second at the 1994 national championships, but she was left off the team when Nancy Kerrigan was given a medical bye

"We looked at basically the Olympic selection criteria we're dealing with ... and we had a healthy discussion," said Bob Horen, chairman of the International Committee that made the decision.

"... We felt she had a better chance to medal."

Kwan cannot start packing for Turin yet. If a five-member committee decides Kwan is not healthy or fit enough to skate by January 27 she would be replaced by Hughes. If Hughes cannot go or has had to replace somebody else, Taylor would take the spot.

"I thought just standing on the podium at nationals was such a great feeling for me to be third," Hughes, the younger sister of 2002 Olympic champion Sarah, said before the decision was announced. "Whatever decision they make, I think it will be a good one. I'm going to go home and train because you never know what will happen."

Cohen automatically got a spot as the national champion.

"It's a hard decision for whoever has to make it. I hope the best decision is made," Cohen said before the decision was announced. "I know they worked hard all year, and it would be nice for them to go since they earned their spots."

But Kwan has earned another shot at that elusive gold medal, too. Though she has skated sparingly over the last few years and was fourth at the world championships in March, she has been the face of figure skating for the last decade.

And while she may not be the same skater who went to Nagano and Salt Lake City as the gold-medal favourite, she remains a contender. Even though she finished fourth at worlds, only Cohen has higher scores under the sport's new judging system. Hughes' best finish at an international event was a bronze medal at last year's junior worlds.

The committee also had a report from a doctor, who examined Kwan on Thursday. The Olympic silver and bronze medallist jumped Friday for the first time since December 17.

Cohen did not need any help from the selection. She earned it all on her own with her very first national title. She finished with 199.18 points, more than 28 points ahead of second place Meissner.

"I've got a lot of silvers in different shoeboxes in storage units all over the place. But I think the gold one will have a special place," said Cohen, who could not take her eyes off the medal during the awards ceremony.

Source: China Daily