Shizuka "Cool Beauty" Arakawa retires from competitive skating

2006 Olympic gold medal winner Shizuka Arakawa, also known as Cool Beauty, announced her retirement from competitive skating on Sunday. Arakawa had planned to retire in 2004, but when she won the World Figure Skating Championships, it motivated her to keep going. In 2005, she suffered from a foot injury and low motivation, and after placing ninth in Worlds, she felt she could not retire yet. She did an overhaul of everything--her routines, choreography, costumes, and coach--and the payoff was Olympic gold.

Known for her spins and jumps, Arakawa combines great elegance with strong athletic and technical ability. She plans to perform in ice shows in Japan and the United States.

You may watch Arakawa's beautiful gold medal skate here (click on number 3, then click the video for "free skate").