Editing Michelle Kwan (section)

===Artistic development and 1998 Olympics===
Kwan began to develop a more mature style during the 1995 season. She used "Romanza" for her short program and in her free skate, music from "Salome's dance" from the film score ''[[King of Kings (1961 film)|King of Kings]]'' by [[Miklós Rózsa]] and "The Dance of the Seven Veils" from the [[Richard Strauss]] opera [[Salome (opera)|''Salome'']], both pieces depicting the Biblical story of [[Salome]] seducing [[Herod the Great|King Herod]].{{Sfn|Kestnbaum|2003|p=49}} She also improved her extension, speed and jump technique, and performed to more difficult choreography.{{Citation needed|date=February 2023}}<ref>{{Cite web |date=April 19, 2006 |title=1996 Worlds, lp "Salome" |website=[[YouTube]] |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CC32EBFgLUI}}</ref> Carroll defended their decision to make Kwan appear more mature by stating that they were giving the judges what they wanted, saying, "The judges were looking for the ladies' champion of the world, not the girls' champion of the world".{{Sfn|Kestnbaum|2003|p=49}}

In both her practices and during her performance at [[1995 Skate America|Skate America]], Kwan wore her hair in a bun instead of a ponytail and wore heavy theatrical makeup, including rhinestones pasted near the corner of her eyes.{{Sfn|Kestnbaum|2003|p=49}} Her costume consisted of "a short-sleeved rich purple dress with rhinestone-studded flesh-colored fabric across the midriff and deep front and black necklines, ornamated with elaborate sequined floral patterns in gold and bright pastels".{{Sfn|Kestnbaum|2003|p=49}} According to writer Ellyn Kestnbaum, Kwan was inspired more to the music than to the narrative, which as Kestnbaum criticized, revealed Kwan as "a sexual being".{{Sfn|Kestnbaum|2003|p=48}} Kestnbaum stated, however, that she found it difficult to construct a linear narrative about the seductive Salome, but that Kwan's moves "might better represent a young woman venturing confidently into the world, encountering loss and confusion, but ultimately finding peace and triumph".{{Sfn|Kestnbaum|2003|p=52}}{{Efn|See Kestnbaum, pp. 48–53, for her "deep reading" of Kwan's ''Salome'' program.}} Kestnbaum also stated that Kwan's movements in the program evoked "images of a sensual, luxurious, exotic Middle East".{{Sfn|Kestnbaum|2003|p=53}}

Kwan's free skate consisted of seven successfully-executed triple jumps, including two triple Lutz jumps, one of which was done in combination and was debuted at Skate America and the other preceded by intricate steps. Other elements, such as the complexity of her steps that connected these elements and her spin positions' originality and variety, also contributed to the program's difficulty and artistry. Kestnbaum insists that Kwan's increased speed, the strong debut of her triple-triple jump, and her improved poise, precision, and posture "say more than her hairstyle or makeup about her new maturity as a skater".{{Sfn|Kestnbaum|2003|p=52}} Kestnbaum states that Kwan's fellow competitors were better in how they executed flow across the ice, speed, and height of their jumps and that although Kwan exhibited more caution and control than her competitors, she skated with "new power and excitement compared to her younger self".{{Sfn|Kestnbaum|2003|p=52}} Kestnbaum credits the success of the ''Salome'' program to Kwan's intricate choreography, which featured emotional depth during the program's heavier moments and frequent reversals of direction that often unexpectedly led to spins or jumps.{{Sfn|Kestnbaum|2003|p=53}} Kwan ended up winning Skate America in 1995.{{Sfn|Kestnbaum|2003|p=52}}

Kwan won both the U.S. Championships and the World Championships in 1996. In the later event, she edged out defending champion [[Chen Lu (figure skater)|Chen Lu]] in a very close competition in which both competitors garnered two perfect 6.0s for [[List of figure skating terms#P|Presentation]] in the free skate.{{Citation needed|date=April 2023}} She was the third youngest figure skater to hold both titles. The1996-97 season marked the beginning of a winning streak for Kwan that lasted more than a year, from the fall of 1995 to the fall of 1996. As Kestnbaum put it, Kwan became "the most consistent and well-rounded skater in the [women's] field, taking on an almost legendary mystique as she continued to mature as a feminine artistic skater emphasizing beauty, musicality, and dramatic storylines concerned with love and death".<ref name="kestnbaum-1552">Kestnbaum, p. 155</ref>


In the 1996–97 season, Kwan skated to "Dream of Desdemona" (short program) and "Taj Mahal" (free skate). During this season, Kwan struggled with her [[Figure skating jump|jumps]] because of a growth spurt, which affected her balance on her jump, and problems with new skating boots which she wore for an endorsement contract with the manufacturer.<ref name="kestnbaum-1552">Kestnbaum, p. 155</ref><ref name="tragedys202">See [https://www.usatoday.com/olympics/owg98/og1/ogfs06.htm The tragedy of turning 20] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010913021258/http://usatoday.com/olympics/owg98/og1/ogfs06.htm |date=September 13, 2001 }} by Christine Brennan, July 12, 1999, USA Today accessed October 9, 2006.</ref> She won the short program at the [[1997 U.S. Figure Skating Championships|1997 U.S. Nationals]], but fell early in her free skate and as she later stated, "panicked" and made several more errors. She lost to [[Tara Lipinski]], who came in first place in her free skate. Three weeks later, at the [[Champion Series Final]], she again lost to Lipinski, who completed more successful jumps than Kwan in both the short program and free skate.<ref name="kestnbaum-1552" /> At the [[1997 World Figure Skating Championships|1997 World Championships]], Kwan came in second place, behind Lipinski, who won the gold medal. Kwan came in fourth place in her short program due to an unsuccessful jump combination while Lipinski came in first place and Irina Slutskaya, who missed her combination jump, came in sixth place. All three skaters performed well during their free skates, each earning first-place ordinals from three of the nine judges. Kwan won the free skate, with Lipinski coming in second place and Slutskaya coming in third place. Kwan's jumps in her free skate were not as difficult as Lipinski and Slutskaya's, but her skating between her jumps was more complex and demonstrated "more polished refinement".<ref>Kestnbaum. p. 156</ref> Overall, Lipinski came in first place, Kwan came in second place, and Slutskaya came in fourth place behind [[Vanessa Gusmeroli]] of France.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Longman |first=Jere |date=23 March 1997 |title=Lipinski, 14, Is Youngest World Champion |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1997/03/23/sports/lipinski-14-is-youngest-world-champion.html?pagewanted=2 |access-date=23 April 2023 |archive-date=April 25, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230425215920/https://www.nytimes.com/1997/03/23/sports/lipinski-14-is-youngest-world-champion.html?pagewanted=2 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Going into the 1997—98 Olympic season, the American press "play[ed] up the Kwan-Lipinski rivalry for all it was worth".<ref name="kestnbaum-158">Kestnbaum, p. 158</ref> According to Kestnbaum, Kwan's programs emphasized sophistication and pure skating, which Kestnbaum called "a change of pace"<ref name="kestnbaum-158" /> from her previous two seasons, which featured dramatic storylines. Kestbaum also called both Kwan's programs "carefully choreographed expressions of joy".<ref name="kestnbaum-163"/> For Kwan's short program, she chose piano music by [[Sergei Rachmaninoff|Rachmaninoff]], and for her free skating program, she chose music from the concerto ''Lyra Angelica'' by [[William Alwyn]]. She came in first place at Skate America, winning both the short program and free skate, while Lipinski came in second place.<ref name="kestnbaum-158" /> She also won [[Skate Canada International|Skate Canada]], but suffered a stress fracture on her foot and was forced to withdraw from her third [[Grand Prix Final|Champions Series Final]]. Kwan regained her U.S. title from Lipinski at the 1998 National Championships, despite her fractured toe.{{Citation needed|date=April 2023}} Her injury prevented her from attempting her triple toe-triple toe combination, but she completed all seven jumps in her free program earning 6.0s from eight of the nine judges. As Kestnbaum put it, Kwan "skated with a transcendent floating quality that was becoming her trademark".<ref>Kestnbaum, p. 160</ref> Many people consider her performances at the 1998 U.S. Championships to be the high point of her career from both a technical and artistic standpoint.<ref>[http://cbs.sportsline.com/u/olympics/nagano98/figuresk8/news/ladies1898.htm 1998 Nationals: Lipinski Fall, Kwan wins with 6.0s] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030420204615/http://cbs.sportsline.com/u/olympics/nagano98/figuresk8/news/ladies1898.htm |date=April 20, 2003 }} CBS Sportsline</ref> Both performances earned her fifteen perfect 6.0s and left two judges in tears.<ref>[https://www.usatoday.com/olympics/owg98/og6/ogfs618.htm Judges in Tears] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020223025615/http://www.usatoday.com/olympics/owg98/og6/ogfs618.htm |date=February 23, 2002 }} USA Today, 1998 accessed October 13, 2006</ref>

Kwan and Lipinski were co-favorites to win the [[1998 Winter Olympic Games|1998 Olympic Games]] in [[Nagano (city)|Nagano, Japan]]. Kwan placed first in the short program, winning eight first place votes out of nine judges, while Lipinski came in second place. In the free skate, Kwan, who skated first in the final group, executed a clean seven-triple performance but placed behind Lipinski, who also did seven triples including a triple loop/triple loop combination and a triple toe-loop/half-loop/triple Salchow. Kwan's performance was "graceful and well-measured, filled with complex edging and unusual moves such as a sequence of spins in both directions".<ref name="kestnbaum-162">Kestnbaum, p. 162</ref> Kestnbaum called Kwan's free skate "tentative and slow" as compared to her performance at Nationals. Her jumps were more difficult and bigger than Lipinski's, but Kwan's were not as high and did not cover as much ice as her competitors' jumps.<ref name="kestnbaum-162"/> Lipinski's spins were faster than Kwan's. The judges awarded Lipinski with higher technical scores and gave both Lipinski and Kwan the same presentation scores, mostly 5.9s, although Lipinski won the free skate.<ref name="kestnbaum-163">Kestnbaum, p. 163</ref> Kwan ended up winning the silver medal, with the gold medal going to Lipinski and the bronze medal to [[Chen Lu (figure skater)|Chen Lu]].<ref>[http://cbs.sportsline.com/u/olympics/nagano98/figuresk8/feb98/kwan22198.htm Kwan vows to fight until 2002] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030421082731/http://cbs.sportsline.com/u/olympics/nagano98/figuresk8/feb98/kwan22198.htm |date=April 21, 2003 }} CBS Sportline, Feb 1998 accessed October 13, 2006</ref><ref>Kestnbaum, p. 161</ref>

Lipinski and Chen both retired from competitive skating shortly after the Olympics, while Kwan went on to win the 1998 World Championships in Minneapolis.