Feb 12, 2006, 15:55 GMT
Turin, Italy - Michelle Kwan's bid for the elusive women's figure skating gold medal at the Olympics ended early morning Sunday when she withdrew from the Turin Games with a groin strain.
Kwan, 25, sustained a groin strain in Saturday practice, the United States Olympic Committee said in a statement. Kwan was to be replaced on the team by Emily Hughes, the younger sister of the surprise 2002 gold medallist Sara Hughes.
The other two members on the US team are Kimmie Meissner and Sasha Cohen. The women's competition is scheduled for February 21 and 23.
Turin was seen as the last chance for the five-time world champion to get Olympic gold after silver in 1998 and bronze in 2002.
'Taking myself off the team is the most difficult decision I've ever had to make, but it's the right decision. This injury prevents me from skating my best, and I've said all along that if I couldn't skate to the level that I expected from myself I'd withdraw from the team,' said Kwan in the statement.
'The Olympics is the greatest sporting event in the world and what's most important is that the United States fields the strongest team possible. As much as I'd love to represent the United States in Torino, I would never stand in the way of that.'
Kwan was plagued by groin problems earlier in the season and only got on the Turin team via a USOC bye, having missed the national championships in January. The latest injury is said to be unrelated to her previous groin problems.
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