Thursday, Dec. 12, 2002
Sarah Hughes
Overshadowed by Michelle Kwan as America's brightest hope for Olympic gold in women's free skating, no one was more opportunistic in 2002 than Hughes, who picked the perfect time to skate a perfect routine. The then-16-year-old revitalized a sport on shaky ground after the pairs scoring fiasco and proved to be the classic cover girl for an Olympic champion: an ordinary kid with extraordinary dreams, drive and ability.