Fox Sports 1 has announced two talent hires with the upcoming Sochi Olympics in mind. During the London Olympics, Fox Sports used its website to cover the Games and had some good insights from Amy Van Dyken, Maurice Greene and Christian Laettner. I give Fox credit for covering the Olympics despite not being a rightsholder. It’s not ignoring the Games and will give them proper coverage in Sochi in February.
So it has made a couple of hires with the Olympics in mind. First, former World Champion figure skater Michelle Kwan joins Fox Sports 1 to analyze the sport in Sochi. In addition to being on FS1, Michelle will be seen on FoxSports.com and heard on Fox Sports Radio.
Here’s the press release from Fox.
FIGURE SKATING ICON MICHELLE KWAN NAMED FOX SPORTS OLYMPIC ANALYST
Olympic Medalist Provides Commentary For FOX Sports 1, FOXSPORTS.COM & FOX Sports Radio
New York – Michelle Kwan, the most decorated figure skater in U.S. history, joins FOX Sports as an analyst for the 2014 Winter Games from Sochi, Russia. Kwan provides expert analysis during figure skating events and contributes daily commentary prior to and throughout The Games across all FOX Sports platforms including FOX Sports 1, America’s new sports network launching August 17, FOXSports.com and FOX Sports Radio. The announcement was made today by Rick Jaffe, FOX Sports Senior Vice President of News. Kwan joins Olympic gold medal downhill skier Picabo Street, who was previously announced as a FOX Sports Olympic analyst.
“I’m thrilled to be a part of the FOX Sports team,” said Kwan. “FOX Sports is known for being fresh, innovative and fun, and that’s the approach I plan to bring in my role. I want to give fans an insider’s look at figure skating and the entire Olympics experience.”
“There is no bigger name in the sport of figure skating than Michelle Kwan, and we are delighted to welcome her to FOX Sports,” Jaffe said. “Not only is she the most decorated figure skater in U.S. history, but she is also opinionated and insightful, and we’re very lucky to have her as part of our Olympic team.”
In her illustrious figure skating career, Kwan won an unprecedented 43 championships, including five World Championships, nine overall and eight straight U.S. National Championships and two Olympic medals. In the nearly 100-year history of U.S. figure skating, no American man or woman has won more world titles, national titles or Olympic medals.
Honors and awards Kwan has received for her athletic achievements include selection by ESPN as one of the 40 greatest female athletes of the past 40 years (2012); 2003 U.S. Olympic Committee SportsWoman of the Year; 2001 Sullivan Award as the top amateur athlete in America; 1998 Sportswoman of the Year by the Women’s Sports Foundation; 2002 and 2003 Kids’ Choice Award and the 2002 Teen Choice Award as America’s favorite female athlete; and in 2000, one of People magazine’s “50 Most Beautiful People in the World.”
Perhaps even more impressive are Kwan’s accomplishments off the ice. In 2006, she was appointed the first U.S. Public Diplomacy Envoy by the U.S. Secretary of State. In 2010, President Obama named her to the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition, and later that year, she was elected to the Board of Directors of Special Olympics International. In 2012, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton appointed Kwan to serve on the newly formed Council to Empower Women and Girls Through Sports. In 2010, Kwan received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from Southern Vermont College.
Kwan graduated from the University of Denver in 2008 with a degree in international studies. She earned her master’s degree from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University in 2011. She is currently employed by the State Department as a senior advisor for public diplomacy and public affairs, a position she has held since October 2012.
Kwan served as a correspondent for “Good Morning America” at the 2010 Olympics and was part of the television broadcast team that covered the 2009 World Figure Skating Championships.
Kwan has made numerous television appearances during and after her skating career, including having guest-starred as herself in “Homer and Ned’s Hail Mary Pass,” an episode of “The Simpsons” that drew one of the largest viewing audiences in the show’s history. She has also made guest appearances on “Family Guy” and the children’s television series “Arthur.” Kwan wrote the inspirational children’s book “The Winning Attitude: What it Takes to be a Champion” and penned her autobiography “Heart of a Champion” at age 17.
And Fox notes the hiring of Chris Chelios as its NHL and Olympic hockey analyst.
Hockey Hall of Famer Serves as NHL & Olympics Analyst for FOX Sports Live, FOXSports.com & FOX Sports Radio
New York – Named to the Hockey Hall of Fame in July, NHL legend Chris Chelios is FOX Sports 1’s latest addition, joining the new network as an NHL and Olympics analyst. He provides expert commentary on the NHL as well as prior to and throughout the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi, Russia, across all FOX Sports platforms, including FOX Sports 1, America’s new sports network launching August 17, FOXSports.com and FOX Sports Radio. The announcement was made today by Rick Jaffe, FOX Sports Senior Vice President of News. Chelios joins Michelle Kwan and Picabo Street, who were previously announced as FOX Sports Olympic analysts.
“I am excited to join the FOX Sports family and look forward to being part of a brand new network,” Chelios said. “I am happy to have the chance to bring NHL and Olympic hockey into homes across the country, and I look forward to sharing my passion for the game with other sports fans.”
“We are very fortunate to add Chris, not only a Hall of Famer, but one of the greatest players to ever play the game, to our roster,” said Jaffe. “We believe his hard-nosed style of play on the ice will translate directly into his new role for our NHL and Olympics coverage.”
Elected to the Hall of Fame in his first year eligible, Chelios played 1,651 regular-season games with the Chicago Blackhawks, Detroit Red Wings, Montreal Canadiens and Atlanta Thrashers, more than any other defenseman or American player in NHL history. A three-time Stanley Cup champion, he is also a three-time winner of the Norris Trophy, given annually to the NHL’s top defenseman, was an 11-time All-Star and played for Team USA in four Olympics, captaining the squad to the silver medal in 2002. He played two years of collegiate hockey at the University of Wisconsin and led the Badgers to the NCAA title in 1983.
Called the “best American-born player ever,” by former Blackhawks teammate and current NHL television analyst Eddie Olcyzk, Chelios holds the NHL record with 266 playoff games and 24 playoff appearances. He accumulated 185 goals and 948 points in regular-season play with the totals increasing to 216 goals and 1,052 points including playoffs. Chelios was voted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in July and will be inducted in November.
Chelios retired from hockey in 2010 at the age of 48, making him the second-oldest player in NHL history. Following his retirement, he was named the Red Wings’ Advisor to Hockey Operations, a position he currently holds.
That is all.
