Sabotaged American Figure Skater Returns with a Flourish at Lillehammer

Nancy Kerrigan - 1994 Olympics LP



On to ice skating now, in our Winter Olympics section, as the present 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics rumbles on. Although she never won Gold medal, the American figure skater Nancy Kerrigan is considered one of the greatest never to have won the Gold. Only a month before, Nancy Kerrigan was purposely smacked by a combustilble baton on the knee, which was disturbingly planned out by Figure skating American rival Tonya Harding's ex-husband Jeff Gillooly, and her bodyguard, Shawn Eckardt. They ordered a man by the name of Shane Stant, to make the hit on Kerrigan. Harding was not completely guilty and actively tried to cover up the plot. In cruel fashion, Harding won the US Championships while Kerrigan was out of action.

A media frenzy ensues and a court case was taken out against Harding on February 1st, 1994, where she pleaded guilty, but still maintained her innocence, in perhaps a selfish attempt to not receive a jail sentance. Controversially, Tonya Harding was still allowed to participate in the Lillehammer 1994 Olympics, however her career floundered thereafter, and was then banned from figure skating for life, after these events. Harding finished 8th while Kerrigan, not quite the fairytale, but ended in second place for the silver medal, with one of her greatest performances on the ice. Kerrigan was lucky to have recovered from the incident in time for the Winter Olympics.

More off-topic, what was odd about the 1994 Lillehammer Winter Olympics in Norway, was it only came 2 years after the previous 1992 Olympics in Alberville. This was to stop both the Winter and Summer Olympics clashing in the same. They would never of course clash directly, but the thought was, with the close proximity of the looming Summer Olympics, the Winter Olympics, not quite the ratings-winner as the Summer ones, was felt to be overshadowed by it.