Kristi Yamaguchi: Asian American Idol

For many Asian Americans, seeing Kristi Yamaguchi win the gold in women’s figure skating at the 1992 Olympics was everything. She was more than a famous athlete — she was one of the few Asian Americans on TV, period. Yet for Kristi, the polished, glamorous image that we all saw was very different from her experience on the inside. From her choice to skate solo to seeking endorsements in an anti-Asian climate, reporter Stefanie Ritoper looks at the moments that almost stopped Kristi from becoming the Kristi Yamaguchi that we all know. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

You can listen to Kristi Yamaguchi: Asian American Idol online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

Kristi Yamaguchi: Asian American Idol is an episode from Blind Landing by Ari Saperstein.

This episode is 51:52 long.

This episode was published on May 18, 2022.

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