Michelle Kwan is one of the most recognizable and respected ice skating athletes in the world. Her ice skating training began very early in life. Her parents enrolled her in training courses that began at 5:00 a.m. and began again immediately after school. In competitive sports, having the right coach is as important as breathing! Kwan was fortunate enough to train with renowned ice skating coach Frank Carroll when she turned eleven. She soared like a bird under his leadership. Kwan became a senior-level skater within just one year.

Question

Kwan continued to improve her skating techniques. This helped her win gold in both the U.S. Championships and World Championships in 1996. Her victories established Kwan as an iconic American skater. Kwan demonstrated such graceful and artistic skating on the ice that she earned 57 perfect marks during her career. That is more than any other skater! Many people consider her unmatched in her ability to skate with consistency and precision. Though injuries eventually forced her to retire from skating, Kwan continued to courageously follow her passions by becoming a U.S. public diplomacy envoy for the government and working with the president to help Americans live healthier lives.

Questions
How does the phrase “as important as breathing” help readers understand the text?
please chose the correct answer
It shows the importance of good coaching in competitive sports.

It shows that someone has to be really good at breathing in order to ice skate.

It shows that coaches do not have a big impact on skaters.

It shows that there are lots of things someone needs to do to be a competitive athlete.

Answer 1

The correct answer is: It shows the importance of good coaching in competitive sports.

The phrase "as important as breathing" emphasizes how crucial having the right coach is for success in competitive sports, highlighting the significant impact a good coach can have on an athlete's performance.