Sarah Elizabeth Hughes, born May 2, 1985, the second daughter of John and Amy Hughes of Great Neck, figure-skated to a gold medal in the 2002 Winter Olympics at Salt Lake City. Critics have called her performance '' flawless.'' We call her Olympic performance ''absolutely, perfectly flawless.''

Sarah's magnificent performance included seven triple jumps, including two triple-triple combinations. The fifth-to-the-last skater for the long performance for the ladies' gold medal, she had finished fourth in her short performance on Tuesday evening. She was ''gold'' to Great Neck as soon as she finished that award-winning long performance and flashed that refreshing smile of youth and exhilaration.

Great Neck's ''Golden Girl'' will be honored with a parade this Sunday, at 11 a.m., in Great Neck. Great Neck Park District Superintendent and Hughes family friend Richard Arenella, announced that the parade will start in Great Neck Plaza, continue up Middle Neck Road, turn onto Brokaw Lane to pass Sarah's school, Great Neck North High School, pass Sarah's great supporters, Deli-On-The-Green, and wind up at the Parkwood Rink.

With the cooperation of the Great Neck Chamber of Commerce, local businesses along the parade route will sport gold ribbons, in honor of ''Sarah Hughes Day.'' Everyone is invited to come and celebrate with Sarah and the parade committee asks that we all remember that the celebration is for a sixteen-year-old named Sarah Hughes. We can all cheer along the parade route; admittance to the Parkwood ceremony will be by ticket only. Tickets will be distributed in a manner that will best accommodate Sarah and the Hughes family.

''Our Sarah'' has been skating since she was 3 years old at the Parkwood Rink, encouraged by her father, John, who was an ice hockey star, and her mother, Amy, who finds time to nurture the special talents of each of her four daughters, Rebecca, Sarah, Emily and Taylor, and her two sons, David and Matthew. (Sarah is number four in that very close family line-up.)

Sarah is a junior, and an honors student, at North High. Ask any of her fellow students, and they will tell you about a wonderful, friendly girl. North High Principal Bernard Kaplan and her teachers there have been most cooperative in adjusting to her hectic schedule, as has her trainer, Robin Wagner from Glen Cove, who works with her at the Ice House in Hackensack, New Jersey.

Kaplan spoke of a ''down-to-earth, level-headed'' youngster who is ''just what you think she is .. and her family have kept her sane, kept her perspective.'' He added, ''I hope the world lets her stay that way.'' The very proud principal stated: ''Sarah represents the very best; she makes us all stand taller and prouder.'' Kaplan does expect Sarah to return to North High and to graduate with her class next year. Already, Sarah has told the world that her next goal is to come out on top on her SAT's too.

Sarah's first attempts at ice-skating began, literally, in her own backyard, as she skated on the rink her father built especially for his young children. Her first real ice skating lessons were at the Great Neck Park District's Parkwood Rink. Home videos show the very young Sarah, at Parkwood, voicing her ambition, her dream, to skate in the Olympics and win a gold medal. Her dream, and the dream of the entire community, came true on Thursday evening, Feb. 21, 2002.

Arenella, who has carefully followed Sarah's career over the years, is a mighty proud fan and he is very happy for Sarah. As a matter of fact, he may even have predicted this glory years ago: ''After Sarah's performance, a friend reminded me that, years ago, when Sarah was a toddler in the skate show (at Parkwood), I said, 'Watch her, the next Olympic contender.' '' How right he was way back then! Today Richard Arenella is delighted to be a part of the committee planning the hometown celebrations for our worldwide star.

The night of the long performance, the park district invited the Great Neck community to gather at Great Neck House to cheer on their hometown star. With a cake from Bruce's Bakery, a huge screen for the broadcast, and an array of press, it was quite a night! After so graciously receiving her gold medal, the 16-year-old also received a phone call from her Congressman, Gary Ackerman, who called her from the Great Neck House party. Congratulating Sarah, Congressman Ackerman held up the cell phone so she could hear her friends and neighbors cheering and chanting, ''Sarah! Sarah! Sarah!''

Great Neck's now-famous Deli-On-The-Green, and the now equally famous Siele brothers, held their own party, changing the name of their renowned turkey-swiss-lettuce-tomato ''Sarah Hughes sandwich,'' to the ''Golden Sarah Hughes sandwich.'' Samples were free on Thursday night, and the line was out the door to taste the famed sandwich for days afterward. One national network even interviewed a Hughes family friend, a young girl, as she ate ''Sarah's sandwich.''

In the past seven years Sarah has won a carload of medals, starting with the 1998 North Atlantic Junior Regionals and the 1998 Eastern Junior Sectionals and culminating in her Olympic triumph on Feb. 2l. As early as 1999, at only 13 years old, she stepped up to the senior level in skating, placing fourth at her first U.S. Figure Skating Championships, where she qualified for the World Championships for the first time. She finished seventh that year. At the 2000 U.S. Nationals she finished third, and then fifth in the World Championships. In 2001 she placed second, behind Michelle Kwan, at the Nationals and Skate America, as well as placing second in 1999 at the Nations Cup. She took the bronze medal, behind Michelle Kwan and Russia's Irina Slutskaya at the 2001 World Championships.

Following Sarah's gold medal ceremony, Governor George Pataki stated: ''With her sensational gold medal victory Sarah Hughes has skated into Olympic history and the hearts of all New Yorkers. Sarah's hard work, determination and commitment to athletic excellence are a true inspiration for young Americans, and we are all tremendously proud of her local roots here in New York State. On behalf of all New Yorkers, my sincere congratulations go out to Sarah and her family for her awe-inspiring Olympic debut.''