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Born in Great Neck, New York on January 26, 1989, Emily Hughes is one of six children born to mother Amy and father John, a one-time captain of Cornell University's hockey team.

Emily also happens to be the sister of the Olympic figure skater, Sarah Hughes, who took home gold at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City.

Perhaps more notably, 17-year-old Emily was a last-minute replacement to the U.S. Olympic Figure Skating team following the sudden departure, due to injury, of popular American skater Michelle Kwan at the Torino Olympics in 2006.

Although comparisons to older sister Sarah were inevitable, Emily Hughes easily responded to reporters about her famous family connections. At a press conference in Torino, for example, she quipped, "It's not bad being compared to the Olympic gold medalist."

When it was all over, Emily had skated a clean short program but fell on a triple loop in her free skate. Her total score of 160.87 was a personal best, and an impressive Olympic debut.

Hughes entered Olympic competition following her 2005 bronze medal win in the International Skating Union World Junior Figure Skating Championships, along with a 6th place finish at the Senior Ladies' division of the National Championship. She also took the women's 2006 bronze medal at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships.

At the same competition in 2007, Hughes suffered a late spill which cost her the gold — with eighty-two hundredths of a point between her and skater Kimmie Meissner, who took the title.

Off the ice, Emily attends events for charities, including those for breast cancer (her mother is a breast cancer survivor). Hughes has also co-written a book for Random House's Young Dreamers series, I Am a Skater.

Hughes is currently attended Great Neck North, the same public high school attended by Sarah, with whom she apparently shares a talent for overachieving.

Emily Hughes - U.S. Olympic Committee profile including career highlights, interesting facts, quotes, pictures, related links.

Emily Hughes - U.S. Figure Skating Athlete Bio - Pictures, news & updates, vital stats, career timeline and awards list.

Emily Hughes - Bio and career overview by Wikipedia.

Emily Hughes Figure Skating Photo Gallery - Fan photos of the skating star, in action and off the ice, from toeloopy.com

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also see -> Ice Skating | Olympics | Olympic Figure Skating