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There's something a little intimidating about a 14-year-old kid with the disposition of an assassin. At the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in February, Tara Lipinski needed to skate a flawless long program in order to convince the judges to give her the title over defending champion Michelle Kwan. It would be no easy feat for Lipinski, maligned as an automaton who could jump like the dickens, but who lacked a shred of Kwan's artistry. Lipinski smoked both her routine and Kwan. One month later, at the World Championships, Lipinski did it again, seeming to cow Kwan into a less-than-stellar program. That allowed Lipinski to skate her way to the championship, becoming the youngest women's world champion in history. "At the worlds, I had to deal with nerves when I was first after the short program," the Michigan resident said. "I stayed first. I know how to deal with pressure." No kidding.
From Sports Illustrated: Photograph by Heinz Kluetmeier
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