Sport: Figure Skating

Hometown: Great Neck, NY

Biography:  One of the most consistent ladies figure skaters in the world over the past three seasons, Hughes continues to progress technically and artistically at each event... A veteran of two U.S. World Teams, Hughes secured her third U.S. World Team berth with a silver medal performance at the 2001 U.S. Championships in Boston... Since her fifth-place finish at the 2000 World Championships, Hughes has captured medals at every event since, including a recent bronze medal performance ahead of 1999 World champion Maria Butyrskaya at the 2001 Grand Prix Final... Sarah began skating at age 3 because her two older brothers and sister skated... She is the fourth of six children... She takes all honor classes at school... Her off-ice interests include reading, rollerblading and playing tennis... Her silver medal at the 1999 World Junior Championships enabled her to become the youngest competitor in the 1999, 2000 and 2001 World Championships... She received the Presidential Award for Academic Excellence... She hopes to study medicine and become a doctor... Hughes' favorite quote is "It's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice."