Historic champion Kristi Yamaguchi, shown in 2024, became the first Asian American to win Winter Olympics gold when she took the women's figure skating title in 1992. (more) Kristi Yamaguchi 1992 Olympic figure skating gold medalist Written by Tracy Grant Tracy Grant is a senior editor at Encyclopaedia Britannica. She previously served as editor in chief, the first woman to hold that title. Tracy Grant Fact-checked by Britannica Editors Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... Britannica Editors Last updated Feb. 2, 2026 •History Kristi Yamaguchi, who would become known to America and the world for her ethereal grace and superior athleticism in figure skates, spent the first year of her life in casts and special shoes to correct her bilateral clubfoot. But by the time she was five, she had become mesmerized watching Dorothy Hamill skate to gold at the 1976 Winter Olympics. The rest, as they say, is (figure skating) history. Meet Kristi Yamaguchi Yamaguchi was born...

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