Michelle Kwan is passing up toe loops for treaties. The nine-time American figure skating champion announced Friday that she will begin pursuit toward a master's degree in international affairs this fall rather than train for next February's Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

There had been speculation that the 29-year old Kwan would return to the ice after a four year layoff in an attempt to win the Olympic gold that has eluded her throughout her storied career. A career in public service took precedence. 

Kwan has served as a public diplomacy envoy for the State Department in recent years and hopes that her graduate degree will help her advance in that field. She will begin classes at Tufts University in September.

Four years ago, Kwan earned a controversial medical bye to the Games in Torino but was forced to withdraw after a groin injury sidelined her during her first day of practice. She hasn't competed on an international scale since then, so an attempt at gold was a longshot, at best.

That Kwan can still make headlines for not skating shows how much of a mark she left in the sporting community during her historic career. Kwan's nine U.S. Figure Skating titles were one more than Peggy Fleming and Dorothy Hamill had combined. And it's those nine titles she'll be most remembered for rather than the disappointments in Nagano and Salt Lake City, where she won silver and bronze, respectively.

Though the lack of Olympic golds will be a bittersweet footnote in the career of Michelle Kwan, it won't define it. And, judging by her lofty career aspirations, maybe her success on the rink won't either. The lives of far too many athletes end when they leave the playing field. Michelle Kwan's seems to just be beginning.