Lori Nichol publicly praised Michelle Kwan’s commitment and courage, saying she respected “the courage she showed” to take on the challenge and win Worlds. The clearest available quote I found is: “I really respected Michelle for the courage she showed to take that and win Worlds,” which suggests Nichol admired Kwan’s determination and competitive nerve.

What that means

Nichol’s comment was less about a single routine and more about Kwan’s mindset and resilience. In other words, she appears to have thought Kwan’s skating was elite, but what stood out most to her was Kwan’s ability to rise to pressure.

Context

Nichol and Kwan worked together for years, and their partnership was considered a major part of Kwan’s rise. A later report noted that Kwan’s decision to stop working with Nichol caused a big reaction because of how important that creative pairing had been.

Bottom line

So, the best-supported answer is that Lori Nichol thought highly of Michelle Kwan, especially her courage and competitive spirit, rather than criticizing her last skating.