Figure skating: Hughes turns in golden performance, Kwan settles for bronze
Roses rained from the heights of the Salt Lake Ice Center Thursday night as Americans cheered their new Olympic figure skating gold medalist. But it wasn't Michelle Kwan.

Kwan holding head high after stumble

Hughes has risen quickly since age of 12

About Figure skating:    Schedule/results    Figure skating photos

Figure skating was Games' first winter sport Skating's roots may stretch back as far as the Middle Ages, where drawings depict ancient gods wearing huge "skis" with runners. In 1850, E.W. Bushnell introduced the first steel-bladed skates, which revolutionized the sport by making possible more intricate twists and turns.

Up close: Figure skating It's the most popular sport of the Winter Olympics. The grace and artistry of Olympic skating is never difficult to express.

Skating is a real sport Sigh. Yes, Virginia, figure skating is a sport. I know, I know. There are sequins on the costumes, short skirts on the ladies and more routines choreographed to movie themes than you can three-turn or twizzle to.

Olympic highlights

Utah connections

Figure skating medalists in Nagano