Sarah Hughes
Hughes at the 2001–2002 Grand Prix Final
Personal information
Full name	Sarah Elizabeth Hughes
Country represented	USA
Born	(1985-05-02) May 2, 1985 (age 27) Great Neck, New York
Height	1.65 m (5 ft 5 in)
Former coach	Robin Wagner
Skating club	Skating Club of New York
Retired	2003
Medal record Ladies' figure skating Competitor for the  United States Olympic Games Gold 2002 Salt Lake City Singles World Championships Bronze 2001 Vancouver Singles Grand Prix Final Bronze 2001–02 Kitchener Singles Bronze 2000–01 Tokyo Singles World Junior Championships Silver 1999 Zagreb Ladies' singles

Sarah Elizabeth Hughes (born May 2, 1985) is an American figure skater. She is the 2002 Olympic gold medalist and 2001 World bronze medalist in ladies singles.

Personal life[link]

Hughes was born in Great Neck, New York. Her father, John Hughes, is a Canadian of Irish descent and was the captain of the NCAA champion 1969–70 Cornell University ice hockey team. Her mother, Amy Pastarnack, is Jewish^[1] and is a breast cancer survivor. This led Sarah Hughes to become an advocate for breast cancer awareness. She appeared in a commercial for General Electric promoting breast cancer awareness and research. Hughes stated: "I always said that if I can get one person to get a mammogram, I've accomplished something."^[2] Among the other causes Hughes supports are Figure Skating in Harlem, which provides free ice skating lessons and academic tutoring for girls in the Harlem community in NYC. Hughes has supported this program for over ten years.^[3]

Sarah Hughes is the fourth of six children. One of her younger sisters, Emily, is also a figure skater and competed at the 2006 Winter Olympics.

Career[link]

Sarah Hughes began skating at the age of three.^[4] She was coached by Robin Wagner, who also choreographed for her from 1994.^[4]

Hughes won the junior title at the 1998 U.S. Championships in the 1997–1998 season. The following season, she competed on the ISU Junior Grand Prix, winning the silver medal at the 1998–1999 Junior Grand Prix Final and at the 1999 World Junior Championships. At the 1999 U.S. Championships, which were held after the World Junior Championships, Hughes won the pewter medal. It was her senior-level debut.

The U.S. had three spots to the 1999 World Championships, and Hughes, by placing fourth at Nationals, would not normally have qualified for the team. However, Naomi Nari Nam, the silver medalist, was not age-eligible to compete at Worlds. Hughes was also not age-eligible for the senior World Championships. However, Hughes had won the silver medal at the 1999 World Junior Championships, held in November 1998, and so was allowed by ISU rules to compete at the 1999 World Championships. She finished 7th at those World Championships.

In the 1999–2000 season, Hughes made her Grand Prix debut, winning the bronze medal at the 1999 Trophée Lalique. She won the bronze medal at the 2000 U.S. Championships and placed 5th at the 2000 World Championships.

In the 2000–2001 season, she won three medals on the Grand Prix circuit and won the bronze medal at the 2000–2001 Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final. She won the silver medal at the 2001 U.S. Championships. At the 2001 Worlds, she won the bronze medal.

In the 2001–2002 season, Hughes competed again on the Grand Prix, winning the 2001 Skate Canada International and placing second at her other two events. She won her second consecutive bronze medal at the Grand Prix Final and then won the bronze medal at the 2002 U.S. Championships to qualify for the 2002 Winter Olympics.

The week before the opening of the 2002 Olympics, Hughes appeared on the cover of Time magazine.

At the 2002 Olympics, Hughes placed fourth in the short program. In her long program, she landed seven triple jumps, including two triple-triple combinations. She won the long program, and as the three contenders ahead of her after the short program all made mistakes in their respective long programs, Hughes jumped from fourth to first in the overall standings and won the event.

Hughes meets President George W. Bush on April 12, 2002.

After her Olympic win, Hughes was honored with a parade in her hometown of Great Neck. Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton spoke at the event and declared it Sarah Hughes Day. She received the James E. Sullivan Award as the top amateur athlete in the U.S.

Hughes did not compete at the 2002 Worlds. She stayed in for the 2002–2003 season. She won the silver medal at the 2003 U.S. Championships and placed sixth at the 2003 World Championships.

In 2003, Hughes began her studies at Yale University. She took the 2004–2005 year off from college to skate professionally with the Smuckers Stars on Ice tour company. She was inducted into the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in 2005.^[5] On May 25, 2009, Hughes graduated from Yale and received a bachelor's degree in American studies with a concentration in U.S. politics and communities.^[6]

Hughes' biography, Sudden Champion: The Sarah Hughes Story, was written by Richard Krawiec in 2002.

During her career she worked on quadruple jumps and triple axels but never did one in competition.^[7]

Programs[link]

Results[link]

• J = Junior level

See also[link]

• List of select Jewish figure skaters

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Sarah Hughes

• Sarah Hughes at the International Skating Union
• Sarah Hughes at the United States Figure Skating Association

This article's citation style may be unclear. The references used may be made clearer with a different or consistent style of citation, footnoting, or external linking. (November 2010)

Sarah (right) and Abraham hosting three angels in a Children's Bible illustration

Sarah or Sara ( /ˈsɛərə/;^[1] Hebrew: שָׂרָה, Modern Sara Tiberian Śārā ISO 259-3 Śarra; Latin: Sara; Arabic: سارة) was the wife of Abraham and the mother of Isaac as described in the Hebrew Bible and the Quran. Her name was originally Sarai. According to Genesis 17:15 God changed her name to Sarah as part of a covenant after Hagar bore Abraham his first son, Ishmael.

The Hebrew name Sarah indicates a woman of high rank and is translated as "princess".

In the Hebrew Bible and rabbinic literature[link]

Abram’s Counsel to Sarai (watercolor circa 1896–1902 by James Tissot)

Sarah was the wife of Abraham, as well as being his half-sister, the daughter of his father Terah (Genesis 20:12). The Talmud ^[2] identifies Sarai with Iscah, daughter of Abraham's deceased brother Haran (Genesis 11:29), so that Sarah turns out to be the niece of Abraham and the sister of Lot and Milcah. She was also the mother-in-law of Rebecca, her successor. She was considered beautiful to the point that Abraham feared that when they were near more powerful rulers she would be taken away and given to another man. Twice he purposefully identified her as being only his sister so that he would be "treated well" for her sake.^[3] It is apparent that she remained attractive into her later years. Despite her great beauty, she was barren for an unknown reason.^[4] She was originally called "Sarai" which is translated "my princess." Later she was called "Sarah" i.e., princess."^[5] In Biblical times, the changing of one's name was significant and used to symbolize the binding of a covenant. In this case, God promised to put an end to her barrenness and give her a child (Isaac).^[6][7]

Pharaoh's harem[link]

Sarah, as depicted on Promptuarii Iconum Insigniorum

On the journey to Egypt, Abraham instructed Sarai^[8] to identify herself only as his sister, fearing that Pharaoh would kill him in order to take his wife, saying, "I know what a beautiful woman you are. When the Egyptians see you, they will say, 'this is his wife.' Then they will kill me but will let you live. Say you are my sister, so that I will be treated well for your sake and my life will be spared because of you."^[9] When brought before Pharaoh, Sarai said that Abraham was her brother, and the king thereupon bestowed upon the latter many presents and marks of distinction.^[10] As a token of his love for Sarai the king deeded his entire property to her, and gave her the land of Goshen as her hereditary possession: for this reason the Israelites subsequently lived in that land.^[11] It is likely that she acquired her Egyptian maidservant Hagar during this stay. Sarai prayed to God to deliver her from the king, and He thereupon sent an angel, who struck Pharaoh whenever he attempted to touch her. Pharaoh was so astonished at these blows that he spoke kindly to Sarai, who confessed that she was Abraham's wife. The king then ceased to annoy her.^[10] According to another version, Pharaoh persisted in annoying her after she had told him that she was a married woman; thereupon the angel struck him so violently that he became ill, and was thereby prevented from continuing to trouble her.^[12] According to one tradition it was when Pharaoh saw these miracles wrought in Sarai's behalf that he gave her his daughter Hagar as slave, saying: "It is better that my daughter should be a slave in the house of such a woman than mistress in another house"; Abimelech acted likewise.^[13] Sarai treated Hagar well, and induced women who came to visit her to visit Hagar also. Hagar, when pregnant by Abraham, began to act superciliously toward Sarai, provoking the latter to treat her harshly, to impose heavy work upon her, and even to strike her ^[14]

Relations with Hagar[link]

Banishment of Hagar, Etching. À Paris chez Fr. Fanet, Éditeur, Rue des Saints Pères n° 10. XVIIIth century. Sarah is seen on the left side, looking

Some believe Sarai was originally destined to reach the age of 175 years, but forty-eight years of this span of life were taken away from her because she complained of Abraham, blaming him as though the cause that Hagar no longer respected her.^[15][16] Sarah was sterile; but a miracle was vouchsafed to her^[17] after her name was changed from "Sarai" to "Sarah".^[15] According to one myth, when her fertility had been restored and she had given birth to Isaac, the people would not believe in the miracle, saying that the patriarch and his wife had adopted a foundling and pretended that it was their own son. Abraham thereupon invited all the notabilities to a banquet on the day when Isaac was to be weaned. Sarah invited the women, also, who brought their infants with them; and on this occasion she gave milk from her breasts to all the strange children, thus convincing the guests of the miracle.^[18] None of this is Biblical, however, except for the fact that Abraham organized a celebration when Isaac was weaned. It was during this banquet that Sarah happened upon the then teenaged Ishmael "mocking" her son^[19] and was so disturbed that she requested that both he and Hagar be removed from their company.^[20]

Death[link]

Legends connect Sarah's death with the attempted sacrifice of Isaac,^[21] there being two versions of the story. According to one, Samael came to her and said: "Your old husband seized the boy and sacrificed him. The boy wailed and wept; but he could not escape from his father." Sarah began to cry bitterly, and ultimately died of her grief.^[22] According to the other legend, Satan came to Sarah disguised as an old man, and told her that Isaac had been sacrificed. Believing it to be true, she cried bitterly, but soon comforted herself with the thought that the sacrifice had been offered at the command of God. She started from Beer-sheba to Hebron, asking everyone she met if he knew in which direction Abraham had gone. Then Satan came again in human shape and told her that it was not true that Isaac had been sacrificed, but that he was living and would soon return with his father. Sarah, on hearing this, died of joy at Hebron. Abraham and Isaac returned to their home at Beer-sheba, and, not finding Sarah there, went to Hebron, where they discovered her dead.^[23] According to the Genesis Rabbah, during Sarah's lifetime her house was always hospitably open, the dough was miraculously increased, a light burned from Saturday evening to Saturday evening, and a pillar of cloud rested upon the entrance to her tent.^[24]

New Testament references[link]

The First Epistle of Peter praises Sarah for obeying her husband.^[25] Other New Testament references to Sarah are in Romans,^[26] Galatians^[27] and Hebrews.^[28] In Galatians 4, she and Hagar are used as an allegory of the old and new covenants:

"For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman and the other by the free woman. His son by the slave woman was born in the ordinary way; but his son by the free woman was born as the result of a promise. These things may be taken figuratively, for the women represent two covenants. One covenant is from Mount Sinai and bears children who are to be slaves: This is Hagar. Now Hagar stands for Mount Sinai and corresponds to the present city of Jerusalem, because she is in slavery with her children. But the Jerusalem that is above is free, and she is our mother...Now you, brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise...Therefore, brothers, we are not children of the slave woman, but of the free woman." ^[29]

Islam[link]

Sarah (Arabic: سارة, Sara), the wife of the patriarch and Islamic prophet Abraham and the mother of the prophet Isaac, is an honoured woman in the Islamic faith. According to Muslim belief, she was Abraham's first wife. Although not mentioned by name in the Qur'an, she is referenced and alluded to via the story of her husband. She lived with Abraham throughout her life and, although she was barren, God promised her the birth of a prophetic son, Isaac. Muslim tradition holds that Sarah and Abraham had no children. Abraham, however, prayed constantly to God for a son. Sarah, being barren, subsequently gave him her Egyptian handmaiden,^[30] Hājar (Hagar), to wed as his second wife. Hagar bore Ismā'īl (Ishmael), when Abraham was 86,^[31] who too would become a prophet of God like his father. Thirteen years later, God announced to Abraham, now a hundred,^[32] that barren Sarah would give birth to a second son, Isaac, who would also be a prophet of the Lord. Although the Qur'an does not mention Sarah by name, it mentions the annunciation of the birth of Isaac. The Qur'an mentions that Sarah laughed when the angels gave her the glad tidings of Isaac, which is perhaps why the name Isaac has the root meaning of 'laughter'.^[33]

There came Our messengers to Abraham with glad tidings. They said, 'Peace!' He answered, 'Peace!' and hastened to entertain them with a roasted calf.
But when he saw their hands went not towards the (meal), he felt some mistrust of them, and conceived a fear of them. They said: "Fear not: We have been sent against the people of Lut.
And his wife was standing (there), and she laughed: But we gave her glad tidings of Isaac, and after him, of Jacob.
She said: "Alas for me! shall I bear a child, seeing I am an old woman, and my husband here is an old man? That would indeed be a wonderful thing!"

—Qur'an, Sura 11 (Hud), ayat 69-72^[34]

There is a necessary clarification that Sara was not annoyed with Hagar but it was the only order from Allah that Abraham bring them in the Arab Desert, there was no water and nothing to eat and the baby Ismael was very thirsty Hagar ran over the Al-Safa and Al-Marwah hills in search of water but she returned to see Ismael again, then ran over the hills again and return again,Hence she rounded ups and down seven times and at last she saw an miracle of Allah that where the baby Ismeal rubbed his feet on the sand a fountain was seeping out from the ground. That was the fountain of Zam-Zam. The second thing is the sacrifice was given by Ismael not Issac and the Ismael was not sacrifice by his soul but a sheep was sent by Allah. It was the symbolic sacrifice that Ibraham was fully ready to kill his son as per Allah s' order, but Allah wanted the spirit of true sacrifice and obedience not the killed body of Ismael.

Tomb of Sarah[link]

Mausoleum of Sarah, 1911.

Sarah is believed to be buried in the Cave of the Patriarchs (known by Muslims as the Sanctuary of Abraham). The compound, located in the ancient city of Hebron, is the second holiest site for Jews (after the Temple Mount in Jerusalem), and is also venerated by Christians and Muslims, both of whom have traditions which maintain that the site is the burial place of three Biblical couples: Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebecca, and Jacob and Leah. According to the book of Genesis, Abraham purchased the plot of land for her tomb from a man named Ephron the Hittite.^[35] Although some Jews alternatively also believe this to be the burial place for Adam and Eve, this is a view not usually adopted by Christians or Muslims.

Notes[link]