michelle kwan passing up olympics for grad school

On Friday, nine-time U.S. figure skating champion Michelle Kwan announced that she will begin pursuit towards a master's degree in international affairs this fall, rather than train for next February's Winter Olympics in Vancouver: Michelle Kwan passes up Olympics for graduate school.

There had been speculation that Kwan, now 29 years old, might return to the ice in another attempt to nab that Olympic gold medal that has eluded her throughout her career. Looks like she's let it go -- it's not going to happen, and she's moving on from competing to a career in public service.

Four years ago, Kwan earned a controversial medical bye to the Games in Torino but was forced to withdraw after a groin injury sidelined her during her first day of practice. She hasn't competed on an international scale since then, so an attempt at gold was a longshot, at best.

Kwan has served as a public diplomacy envoy for the State Department in recent years and hopes that her graduate degree will help her advance in that field. She will begin classes at Tufts University in September.