Ms. Kwan, who is prominently featured on Star Skater Barbie doll's packaging and will star in the doll's commercials airing in January and February, was selected as Barbie doll's mentor for her like-minded inspirational message of success from hard work and dedication.

"It's my personal philosophy to, 'Work hard, be yourself and have fun' that really coincides with the Barbie brand message of inspiring girls everywhere to be whatever they want to be," said Michelle Kwan.

"Mattel is very excited to introduce young girls to Star Skater Barbie," said Anne Parducci, senior vice president, worldwide marketing, girls division, Mattel. "Like Michelle Kwan, Star Skater Barbie embodies the Olympic spirit of healthy competition and camaraderie as she inspires girls to dream of becoming world class athletes when she heads for the Salt Lake City 2002 Winter Olympic Games."

Barbie.com Gets the Olympic Spirit

Twirl - spin - click! Star Skater Barbie will bring girls clickably close to the Salt Lake City 2002 Winter Olympic Games with a special section dedicated to ice skating. Girls can log on to learn more about ice skating and Ms. Kwan -- both from biographical profiles and online interviews with the champion figure skater herself. Games and activities featured in the "Be A Star Skater" section include interactive tutorials with skating tips to creating your own Olympic-winning skating scene. Barbie.com also has partnered with iskate.com, allowing girls to get up-to-the-minute Olympic figure skating scores to keep in toe with their favorite figure skaters.

The "Opening Ceremonies"

Ms. Kwan recently brought the spirit of the Olympics to life for many special children for the official "opening ceremonies" doll launch in November. As an official spokesperson for the Children's Miracle Network (CMN), Michelle led a special ice-skating clinic for twenty-five CMN kids ages 4-14 from the Childrens Hospital Los Angeles at the HealthSouth Training Center in El Segundo. Laughing, skating and sharing, Ms. Kwan spent the afternoon with the kids on the ice giving them her own words of inspiration and encouragement. And of course, no one left without her own Star Skater Barbie autographed by Ms. Kwan!

"We are thrilled to have been chosen by Mattel to participate in this exciting launch with Michelle Kwan," said Pamela Ludwig, director of major and planned events, Childrens Hospital Los Angeles. "This event is a way to really give back to these children by celebrating their health and bring them closer to the Olympics without even having to leave Los Angeles."

About Michelle Kwan

Michelle Kwan's skating brilliance and accomplishments have earned her a place among the all-time greats of her sport. In her career, she has won an unprecedented 37 championships -- including four World Championships, five National Championships and the 1998 Olympic silver medal. It is the artistry and grace of those winning performances that have truly set this 21-year-old apart from the rest. She has received 31 perfect 6.0 marks in major competitions -- the most of any female skater in history. Michelle's skating achievements have earned her numerous awards and honors, including being named Sportswoman of the Year by the Women's Sports Foundation (1998); Female Athlete of the Year in figure skating by the U.S. Olympic Committee (1996, 1998-2000); a record nine USOC Athlete of the Month awards; and a five-time winner of U.S. Figure Skating's Figure Skater of the Year, the only multiple winner of the prestigious award.

About Star Skater Barbie

Star Skater Barbie is sure to win the gold at the Salt Lake City 2002 Olympic Winter Games. She comes ready to skate, wearing a beautiful glittery skating costume, inspired by the Olympic Winter Games' official colors of yellow, orange and blue. Accented by sparkly tights and color-coordinated ice skates, girls can make her twirl and spin by pulling the strings on the back of the doll. A water bottle and gold medal accompany this sporty and stylish Barbie doll. Star Skater Barbie doll retails for approximately $14.99 and is available now in African-American, Caucasian, and Asian versions at retailers worldwide.

About Children's Miracle Network and Childrens Hospital Los Angeles

Children's Miracle Network, an international non-profit organization dedicated to helping children by raising funds and awareness for 170 children's hospitals throughout North America, treats more than 14 million children afflicted with diseases, injuries and birth defects of every kind. Childrens Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA), a leader in international pediatric medicine and research, has been a proud CMN affiliate hospital for twenty years.

About Mattel Girls Division

Since the Barbie(R) doll's creation in 1959 as a paper-doll-inspired friend, she has firmly established herself as the most popular fashion doll ever created. For more than four decades, Mattel has maintained Barbie(R) doll's popularity by adapting her look, lifestyle and fashions to meet changing times while evolving her world into an overall lifestyle brand for girls. While the Barbie(R) Brand represents Mattel's initial roots in girls' toys, the Girls Division now dominates the market with several best-selling brands including American Girlz(TM), Diva Starz(TM) and Polly Pocket!(TM) A natural extension of the brands to the online world, Mattel's Girls Interactive Group provides girls of the 21st century a new way to interact with their favorite playmates through Web sites and licensed Mattel-branded interactive software and video game titles. With headquarters in El Segundo, Calif., Mattel has offices and facilities in 36 countries and markets its products in more than 150 nations throughout the world.

Mattel, Barbie, American Girls, Diva Starz, and associated trademarks are U.S. trademarks of Mattel, Inc.

Polly Pocket! under license from Origin Products Ltd. and Bluebird Toys (UK)