Sarah Hughes facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sarah Hughes
Hughes at the 2012 Stars on Ice
Personal information
Full name	Sarah Elizabeth Hughes
Country represented	United States
Born	(1985-05-02) May 2, 1985 (age 40) Great Neck, New York, U.S.
Height	1.65 m
Former coach	Robin Wagner
Skating club	Skating Club of New York
Retired	2003

Sarah Elizabeth Hughes (born May 2, 1985) is an American former competitive figure skater. She is famous for winning the gold medal at the 2002 Winter Olympics. She also earned a bronze medal at the 2001 World Championships in ladies' singles.

About Sarah Hughes

Sarah Hughes was born in Great Neck, New York. This town is a suburb located on Long Island. Her father, John Hughes, was from Canada and had Irish family roots. He was a captain of the Cornell University ice hockey team that won a championship in 1969–70.

Sarah's mother, Amy Pastarnack, is Jewish and has survived breast cancer. Because of her mother's experience, Sarah became a strong supporter of breast cancer awareness. She even appeared in a commercial for General Electric to help promote research and awareness. Sarah once said, "If I can get one person to get a mammogram, I've accomplished something."

Sarah also supports "Figure Skating in Harlem." This program offers free ice skating lessons and school help to girls in the Harlem area of New York City. Sarah has supported this program for more than ten years.

Education and Family

Sarah went to Great Neck North High School. After high school, she started studying at Yale University in 2003. She graduated from Yale in 2009 with a degree in American studies. Later, she earned a law degree from the University of Pennsylvania Law School in 2018. As of May 2023, Sarah was studying for a business degree at Stanford University.

Sarah is the fourth of six children in her family. Her younger sister, Emily, is also a figure skater. Emily competed in the 2006 Winter Olympics.

Sarah's Skating Journey

Sarah Hughes started skating when she was just three years old. Her main coach was Robin Wagner, who also helped create her skating routines since 1994. Robin became her head coach in January 1998.

Early Successes

In the 1997–1998 season, Sarah won the junior title at the U.S. Championships. The next season, she competed in the ISU Junior Grand Prix series. She won a silver medal at the 1998–1999 Junior Grand Prix Final. She also earned a silver medal at the 1999 World Junior Championships.

At the 1999 U.S. Championships, Sarah made her debut at the senior level. She finished fourth. Even though she was fourth, she got to go to the 1999 World Championships. This was because another skater was too young, and Sarah had won a medal at Junior Worlds, which allowed her to compete. She finished 7th at her first senior World Championships.

In the 1999–2000 season, Sarah started competing in the Grand Prix series. She won a bronze medal at the 1999 Trophée Lalique. She also won a bronze medal at the 2000 U.S. Championships. She placed 5th at the 2000 World Championships.

Road to the Olympics

During the 2000–2001 season, Sarah won three medals in the Grand Prix series. She also took home a bronze medal from the 2000–2001 Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final. She earned a silver medal at the 2001 U.S. Championships. At the 2001 World Championships, she won the bronze medal.

In the 2001–2002 season, Sarah continued to do well in the Grand Prix. She won the 2001 Skate Canada International and placed second in two other events. She won her second bronze medal in a row at the Grand Prix Final. She also earned a bronze medal at the 2002 U.S. Championships. This qualified her for the 2002 Winter Olympics.

The week before the 2002 Olympics began, Sarah was featured on the cover of Time magazine.

Olympic Gold Medal

At the 2002 Olympics, Sarah Hughes won the gold medal. This was a huge surprise in figure skating history. She was the youngest skater in the competition. Most people did not expect her to win against favorites like Michelle Kwan from the U.S. and Irina Slutskaya from Russia.

Sarah became the first woman in Olympic history to land two triple jump-triple jump combinations in her four-minute free skate. The skaters who were ahead of Sarah after the short program made mistakes in their free skate. This opened the door for Sarah to win the gold. Even though her Lutz jump had a small flaw, her difficult and successful jump combinations helped her win. Her artistic style, good edge quality, and how she covered the ice made her a "strong all-around skater." These qualities helped her secure the gold medal.

Sarah Hughes meeting President George W. Bush on April 12, 2002.

After her Olympic win, Sarah was honored with a parade in her hometown of Great Neck. Important people like U.S. Senators Hillary Clinton and Chuck Schumer, and New York Governor George Pataki attended. Hillary Clinton spoke at the event and declared it "Sarah Hughes Day." Sarah also received the James E. Sullivan Award. This award is given to the best amateur athlete in the U.S. She was the third figure skater to win it.

Sarah did not compete at the 2002 World Championships. In the 2002–2003 season, she won a silver medal at the 2003 U.S. Championships. She then placed sixth at the 2003 World Championships.

In 2005, Sarah was added to the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame.

Skating Style

Sarah Hughes was known for her impressive triple-triple jump combinations. These included:

• Triple loop-triple loop
• Triple salchow-triple loop
• Triple toe-triple loop

She often performed her triple loop jump after a back spiral. She was also recognized for her camel spin with a change of edge and her spiral position. Unlike most skaters, Sarah performed her jumps and spins in a clockwise direction.

Later Life and Interests

Sarah took a year off from college in 2004–2005. During this time, she skated professionally with the Smuckers Stars on Ice tour company.

In May 2023, Sarah Hughes filed paperwork to run for Congress. She wanted to represent New York's 4th congressional district as a Democrat. However, she decided to withdraw from the race in September 2023.

Skating Programs

Sarah Hughes performed different programs during her skating career. Here are some of them:

Competition Results

Here are some of Sarah Hughes's results from major skating competitions: GP: Grand Prix; JGP: Junior Grand Prix

See also

In Spanish: Sarah Hughes para niños

• List of notable Jewish figure skaters