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Biden will nominate Michelle Kwan and Caroline Kennedy for ambassador posts

Former Olympian Michelle Kwan speaks before then-candidate Joe Biden at a rally in Manchester, N.H., on Feb. 8, 2020. On Wednesday President Biden said he'll nominate Kwan for ambassador to Belize.
Joseph Prezioso
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AFP via Getty Images
Former Olympian Michelle Kwan speaks before then-candidate Joe Biden at a rally in Manchester, N.H., on Feb. 8, 2020. On Wednesday President Biden said he'll nominate Kwan for ambassador to Belize.

The White House on Wednesday announced President Biden's intent to nominate Michelle Kwan, the two-time Olympic medalist, to serve as U.S. ambassador to Belize.

Biden will also nominate Caroline Kennedy, a former ambassador to Japan, to serve as ambassador to Australia.

Both women have long worked alongside the Democratic Party, including in support of Biden's 2020 White House run, and served in various political roles over the years.

Kwan, who is the most decorated figure skater in U.S. history, became the first U.S. public diplomacy envoy in 2006 and "for a decade, traveled extensively on behalf of the U.S. Department of State to engage youth around the world on social and educational issues," according to a White House press release.

Kennedy, a prolific author and daughter of former President John F. Kennedy, served as ambassador to Japan during President Barack Obama's second term.

As ambassador to Australia, Kennedy would represent the United States to one of the nation's closest allies and a key strategic partner in the Indo-Pacific.

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Caroline Kennedy is seen during a 2019 event.
Charles Krupa / AP
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AP
Caroline Kennedy is seen during a 2019 event.

Alana Wise is a politics reporter on the Washington desk at NPR.
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