Other names: YAMAGUCHI, Kristine

Born: 12 July 1971

Birthplace: Hayward (California)

Nationality: United States

 

ATTENDANCE AT THE OLYMPIC GAMES

Albertville 1992

AWARDS

Olympic medals:

Gold: 1

Other results:

World Championships

Gold 2: (1991, 1992)

Words From a Living Doll

Kristi Yamaguchi, whose mother was born in a World War II internment camp for Japanese-Americans while her grandfather was serving as a lieutenant in the U.S. Army, became obsessed with figure skating as a little girl. Her favorite toy was a Dorothy Hamill doll that she carried with her everywhere. Through 1990, Yamaguchi competed in both singles and pairs (with Rudy Galindo). That year she qualified for the world championships in both events, placing fourth and fifth respectively. Then she dropped out of pairs to concentrate on singles and was rewarded with her first world championship title in 1991. At the 1992 Albertville Olympics, Yamaguchi led after the original program, with her Olympic roommate, Nancy Kerrigan, in second place. But Yamaguchi had a history of placing first in the original program and then falling behind after the long program. This time she was the first of the leaders to skate. Backstage she was approached, for the first time in her life, by none other than her childhood idol, Dorothy Hamill, who wished her luck and told her to go out and "have fun." Yamaguchi's relatively conservative program was marred by a touchdown at the end of a shaky triple loop. However, all of the other contenders fell and Yamaguchi won a clear victory.