Editing Sarah Hughes (section)

==Skating career==
Hughes began skating at the age of three.<ref name=jbm /> [[Robin Wagner (figure skater)|Robin Wagner]], who also choreographed for her from 1994, became her head coach in January 1998.<ref name=gs011121 /><ref name=jbm />

Hughes won the junior title at the [[1998 United States Figure Skating Championships|1998 U.S. Championships]] in the 1997–1998 season. The following season, she competed on the [[ISU Junior Grand Prix]] and won the silver medal at the 1998–1999 Junior Grand Prix Final. She also took silver at the [[1999 World Junior Figure Skating Championships|1999 World Junior Championships]] held in November 1998. At the [[1999 United States Figure Skating Championships|1999 U.S. Championships]], Hughes won the pewter medal in her senior-level debut. As the fourth-place finisher, Hughes would not normally have received one of the three spots for U.S. ladies at the [[1999 World Figure Skating Championships|1999 World Championships]], however, [[Naomi Nari Nam]], the silver medalist, was not age-eligible for the event according to ISU rules. Hughes was likewise not age-eligible, but at the time a loophole existed for skaters who had medaled at Junior Worlds.<ref name=cbs000316 /> Hughes was sent to senior Worlds and finished 7th in her debut.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=Sarah HUGHES|url=https://olympics.com/en/athletes/sarah-hughes|access-date=December 2, 2021|website=Olympics.com}}</ref>

In the 1999–2000 season, Hughes made her Grand Prix debut, winning the bronze medal at the [[1999 Trophée Lalique]]. She won the bronze medal at the [[2000 United States Figure Skating Championships|2000 U.S. Championships]] and was credited with a triple-salchow-triple-loop combination.<ref name=nyt000214 /> She placed 5th at the [[2000 World Figure Skating Championships|2000 World Championships]].<ref name=":0" />

On September 7, 2001, at the age of 16, Hughes was invited to meet [[United States National Security Advisor]] [[Condoleezza Rice]].<ref name=political />

In the 2000–2001 season, Hughes won three medals on the Grand Prix circuit and won the bronze medal at the [[2000–2001 Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final]]. She won the silver medal at the [[2001 United States Figure Skating Championships|2001 U.S. Championships]]. At the [[2001 World Figure Skating Championships|2001 World Championships]], she won the bronze medal.<ref name=":0" />

In the 2001–2002 season, Hughes again competed on the Grand Prix, winning the [[2001 Skate Canada International]] while placing second at her other two events. She won her second consecutive bronze medal at the Grand Prix Final and won the bronze medal at the [[2002 United States Figure Skating Championships|2002 U.S. Championships]] to qualify for the [[2002 Winter Olympics]].<ref>{{Cite news|last=Robbins|first=Liz|date=February 23, 2002|title=OLYMPICS: FIGURE SKATING; Gold for Hughes a Surprise, But Perfection Is a Standard|work=New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/02/23/sports/olympics-figure-skating-gold-for-hughes-a-surprise-but-perfection-is-a-standard.html|access-date=June 16, 2020}}</ref>

The week before the opening of the 2002 Olympics, Hughes appeared on the cover of [[Time (magazine)|''Time'' magazine]].<ref>{{Cite magazine|title=TIME Magazine Cover: Sarah Hughes - Feb. 11, 2002|url=https://content.time.com/time/covers/0,16641,20020211,00.html|access-date=October 26, 2020|magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]]|language=en-us}}</ref>

At the [[Figure skating at the 2002 Winter Olympic Games|2002 Olympics]], Hughes won the gold medal in what was widely considered one of the biggest upsets in figure skating history. She was the youngest skater in the competition, and was not expected to seriously challenge the favorites, teammate [[Michelle Kwan]] and Russia's [[Irina Slutskaya]]. Hughes became the first woman in Olympic history to land two triple jump-triple jump combinations in a 4-minute free skate. Kwan, Slutskaya, and [[Sasha Cohen]] (the three skaters that finished ahead of Hughes in the short program), all made significant mistakes in the free skate, clearing the way for Hughes to win gold.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Hersh |first1=Philip |title=U.S.' Hughes pulls off shocking upset |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/sns-olympics-022202figure-story.html |website=chicagotribune.com |date=February 22, 2002 |access-date=February 15, 2022}}</ref> Her Lutz jump was flawed, but her difficult and successful jump combinations made up for it. Her artistry, above-average edge quality, and ice coverage combined to establish her as a "strong all-around skater" and ensured her gold-medal win.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Kestnbaum |first=Ellyn |title=Culture on Ice: Figure Skating and Cultural Meaning |publisher=Wesleyan Publishing Press |year=2003 |isbn=0-8195-6641-1 |location=Middleton, Connecticut |pages=165}}</ref>

[[File:Sarah Hughes George W Bush.jpg|thumb|right|Hughes meets President [[George W. Bush]] on April 12, 2002.]]
After her Olympic win, Hughes was honored with a parade in her hometown of [[Great Neck]], attended by [[United States Senate|U.S. Senator]]s [[Hillary Clinton]] and [[Chuck Schumer]], as well as [[Governor of New York]] [[George Pataki]]. Clinton spoke at the event and declared it Sarah Hughes Day.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.newsday.com/news/from-the-archives-great-neck-welcomes-sarah-hughes-in-style-y40269 |title=From the archives: Great Neck welcomes Sarah Hughes in style |website=[[Newsday]] |date=March 2, 2002 |access-date=May 18, 2023 |language=en-US |last=Givens |first=Ann}}</ref> She received the [[James E. Sullivan Award]] as the top amateur athlete in the U.S., becoming the third figure skater to win this award after [[Dick Button]] (1949) and [[Michelle Kwan]] (2001).<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.ourmidland.com/news/article/Skater-Sarah-Hughes-Wins-Sullivan-Award-7193601.php |title=Skater Sarah Hughes Wins Sullivan Award |last=Freeman |first=Rick |date=March 17, 2003 |access-date=May 18, 2023 |website=[[Midland Daily News]] |language=en-US |archive-date=May 18, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230518235409/https://www.ourmidland.com/news/article/Skater-Sarah-Hughes-Wins-Sullivan-Award-7193601.php |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Hughes did not compete at the [[2002 World Figure Skating Championships|2002 World Championships]]. In the 2002–2003 season, she won the silver medal at the [[2003 United States Figure Skating Championships|2003 U.S. Championships]],<ref name=political>{{cite web |title=Olympic figure skating champion Sarah Hughes files to run for Congress |url=https://olympics.nbcsports.com/2023/05/15/sarah-hughes-congress-figure-skating/ |website=NBCOlympics.com |date=May 15, 2023 |access-date=May 16, 2023}}</ref> and placed sixth at the [[2003 World Figure Skating Championships|2003 World Championships]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2003/03/27/sports/figure-skating-precision-escapes-hughes-as-a-judge-is-banished.html |title=FIGURE SKATING; Precision Escapes Hughes as a Judge Is Banished |last=Clarey |first=Christopher |date=March 27, 2003 |access-date=May 18, 2023 |language=en-US |website=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref>

Hughes took the 2004–2005 year off from college and skated professionally with the [[Smuckers]] [[Stars on Ice]] tour company. She was inducted into the [[International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame]] in 2005.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.jewishsports.net/BioPages/SarahHughes.htm|title=International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame|website=www.jewishsports.net|access-date=September 10, 2019}}</ref>

[[Richard Krawiec]] wrote a biography about her, ''Sudden Champion: The Sarah Hughes Story'' (2002).<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.ksl.com/article/19251593/five-memorable-faces-from-the-2002-olympics |title=Five memorable faces from the 2002 Olympics |website=[[KSL (radio network)|KSL Newsradio]] |last=Wilkinson |first=Rhett |date=February 18, 2012 |access-date=May 18, 2023 |language=en-US}}</ref>