Michelle Kwan chose school over skating.

The nine-time U.S. champion announced Friday she will not return to competitive skating in hopes of making the Vancouver Olympics. Instead, she will begin classes for a master’s degree in international affairs at Tufts University. Kwan, who recently graduated from the University of Denver, has already made several trips as a public diplomacy envoy for the State Department.
“Skating will always be a part of me,” Kwan said “But in the bigger picture of my life, I have always wanted to find a career that will allow me to make a positive contribution and difference in the world. Representing the United States as an American Public Diplomacy Envoy the past three years has been very rewarding, and I want to do more. Furthering my education will bring me closer to that goal, and I don’t want to wait any longer to continue the journey.”
The 29-year-old skater hasn’t competed since an injury forced her to withdraw from the Turin Olympics after her first practice. But she has been working out for most of the year, and an appearance with world champion Kim Yu-na at an ice show in South Korea next month — her first in front of an audience in three years — fueled speculation she might try for Vancouver.
Kwan won the silver medal at the Nagano Olympics in 1998, and a bronze at the 2002 Salt Lake City Games. She also has five world titles.
Kwan had until September to enter U.S. competitions leading to January’s national championships, which also serve as the Olympic trials. She would have had to qualify through regional events to get to nationals in Spokane, Wash.