Michelle Kwan pays homeage to skating coach Frank Carroll who died at 85

Michelle Kwan paid a tribute to a Hall of Fame coach from the skating world, Frank Carroll, on Monday in honour of their friendship that lasted over 30 years.

“Yesterday, we bid farewell to a legend,” the Olympic figure skater, 43, wrote on social media in memory of Carroll who died at age 86 on Sunday.

Kwan went on to pay her respects to the former skater in a lengthy caption along with a carousel of photos starting with the pair sitting next to each other at one of Kwan’s many skating competitions, as she held onto flowers and stuffed animals.

She added, “Frank Carroll, my former coach, mentor and dear friend for over 3 decades, was a towering figure in the world of figure skating.”

Another picture featured a television cameraman standing in front of them to capture their reactions during the 1998 U.S. Figure Skating Championships as she recalled their first meeting.

“I still recall our first meeting vividly,” she said of her 11-year-old self “unknowingly setting off a pet peeve of his” by calling him “Mr. Carroll.”

“Call me Frank, he insisted, with an eye roll and smirk. And so, Frank he became!” she wrote.

She also included photos of herself as a child, on the ice with Carroll as well as a photo taken years later at a press conference.

“Frank was everything I could have hoped for in a coach and more - a rock-solid supporter (seriously, he never missed a lesson!), a fountain of knowledge (on and off the ice), and a dear friend,” Kwan said.

Throughout her tribute, Kwan shared anecdotes that captured Carroll's humour and his impact on those around him.

"He was never short on words, always providing feedback with a mix of directness, love, and unwavering support. Frank was a treasure trove of figure skating history, regaling us with tales of Olympic champions like Sonja Henie and American greats like Maribel Vincent Owen. And let’s not forget his struggle to draw the line between 'coach' and 'friend' - to Frank, once you were in his life, you were a friend for life."

"Frank’s sense of humor was a gift, especially on those tough lesson days when things just wouldn’t click. His parting words, “I’ve done my duty for God and my country,” followed by a dramatic exit as he skated away, never failed to make us all laugh."

Kwan concluded her caption with her gratitude for the privilege of working with Carroll and their friendship.

"I consider myself incredibly fortunate to have been one of the lucky ones to work with him and, most importantly, to call him a friend. Frank, you will be dearly missed, but your legacy of laughter and love will forever live on in our hearts. Love you"