Sarah Hughes puts skating on ice, back in school

NEW YORK -- Sarah Hughes is back at Yale and encouraging her peers to pursue their college degrees. The 2002 Olympic figure skating champion is finishing off summer classes and will be a junior at the Ivy League school this fall. Hughes entered Yale after winning at Salt Lake City, but skipped one year to tour with Stars on Ice. She also didn't attend classes last spring and was in Italy to support her sister, Emily, in the Olympics. "Right now, I am 21 and concentrating on my education," she said. "But it has to be an individual decision to pursue what you want in your life. "I look at some skaters who never went to college and, like Kristi Yamaguchi, for example, and they have achieved so much and still are doing so much with their lives. But, for me, going to Yale was what I wanted to do and something I am very glad I am doing. I think it is very important." Hughes doesn't regret giving up competitive skating while still a teenager. "When I am much older, I will still enjoy going out on the rink and going around," she said. "I enjoy the skill, it's a wonderful skill to have. But to compete at any level is not in the cards right now. When I started, I didn't think the Olympics or worlds or nationals were my one goal. But the things I miss are having a goal each day and trying new things." So she faces challenges in the classroom instead of on the ice, although Hughes is uncertain what her major will be. "I'm not in a rush to do anything but be a student," she said.