Tonya Harding vs Nancy Kerrigan Incident Explained

undercoverspill

Tonya Harding vs Nancy Kerrigan was a rivalry for the ages. During their time competing against each other a shocking incident took place in 1994. Nancy Kerrigan would be attacked backstage. We explore the shocking story and find out what really happened.  Heated Rivals 0:00 Intro 0:13 Tonya Harding 1:32 Jeff Stone 2:08 Nancy Kerrigan 2:53 Nancy Kerrigan Attack 4:19 Tonya Wins 5:04 Criminal Investigation 7:02 Olympics Showdown 8:31 Aftermath 9:58 Outro

Transcript

00:00Good girl. Oh isn't that great. The first time an American only Midori Edo has completed a triple

00:19axle in competition. Oh how nice. How terrific.

00:23She was a great talent in the world of figure skating. She had tons of potential to be a

00:42gigantic star in the sport. But it all came to an abrupt halt, with a rather unusual incident.

00:49Let's take a look back at the infamous Tonya Harding scandal.

00:53And find out what actually happened.

00:58At the early age of three, Tonya was first introduced to ice skating.

01:03The sport soon would become a passion for her, and she continued to improve year after year.

01:09As a teenager, she was one of the most talented prospects to ever grace the ice.

01:15Knowing she had potential as a top professional figure skater,

01:18Harding decided to drop out of high school at just 16 years old and dedicate more time to training.

01:26She did however still make time for her love life.

01:30As she began dating a 17-year-old young man Jeff Stone.

01:34It was a story of teenage romance that blossomed very quickly, and would soon lead to marriage.

01:39The romantic relationship didn't take away from her ice skating goals and aspirations.

01:46Jeff would actually provide financial support, and help fund Tonya's professional career.

01:52As her journey progressed, Harding continued to climb the ladder on the ice skating scene.

01:57The future was looking bright for Tonya, as she managed to rack up a number of big wins.

02:04Harding even developed a couple notable rivalries in the process.

02:08Nancy Kerrigan was one of Tonya's most talented peers, and she was carving out a legacy of her own.

02:13The two had faced off multiple times over the years, with Tonya not always coming out on top.

02:37Nancy was a fan favorite and was seen as a sweetheart in the eyes of the media.

02:41She had the looks, the skills, and also had a down-to-earth personality.

02:47In early January of 1994 is when the rivalry went too far.

02:53In a pursuit to earn a spot in the 1994 Winter Olympics.

02:57Two days before a qualifying competition took place.

03:01An unexpected event would occur.

03:04After finishing up a practice run in Detroit's Kobo Arena.

03:07Last year's winner of the competition, who was Kerrigan, would be attacked backstage by an unknown assailant.

03:16The story broke and was all over the news.

03:20Many speculated who was behind it.

03:23Was it a random fan?

03:25Or was another competitor behind the surprise attack?

03:28Detroit today, there's been a violent attack on an American athlete.

03:32Nancy Kerrigan, the American figure skater, who was widely considered a favorite to win a medal at the Winter Olympics,

03:37was attacked at a practice session for the U.S. figure skating championships.

03:42She was just leaving the ice.

03:44Reporter Dana Skartin was waiting to interview her.

03:46A large man, 6'2", 200 pounds.

03:48You know, came running out, just kind of crouched when he got to her.

03:54Hit her a couple times with some type of weapon.

03:57Kerrigan was hit several times on the leg, around the knee, by what's being described as a club of some sort.

04:03Her assailant fled.

04:05She was carried to the locker room, but was later able to walk to the car that took her to the hospital for treatment.

04:10And this evening, she was released from that hospital.

04:12The attack on Kerrigan left her unable to compete in the qualifying event.

04:19Leaving a clear-cut lane, for Harding to take home a first-place victory.

04:23Last time she won the national championship was in 1991.

04:26Right, when she landed her triple axel.

04:29And the marks four composition and styles, she is ranked first by all nine judges.

04:37Tanya Harding is the 1994 national champion.

04:41We will be back with the final standings.

04:45And also the naming of the Olympic team members.

04:48Nancy Kerrigan looking on.

04:50Will the USFSA give her a spot?

04:54Tanya Harding, the 1994 national champion.

04:59Law enforcement soon started their criminal investigation and questioned the potential suspects.

05:06The entire Harding team would be interrogated as well as other participants.

05:10Within a few weeks, the FBI who handled the case, got their confession from Harding's bodyguard.

05:17He expressed his involvement as well as Stone's.

05:21And even identified the hired hit man who carried out the attack.

05:26Feeling the pressure was on.

05:28Weeks later, Stone then confessed and implicated Tanya was also involved.

05:34Harding denied the allegation in the media, and also when questioned by the police.

05:38I had no prior knowledge of the planned assault on Nancy Kerrigan.

05:46I am responsible, however, for failing to report things I learned about the assault when I returned home from Nationals.

06:02I learned that some persons that were close to me may have been involved in the assault.

06:11My first reaction was one of disbelief.

06:20And the disbelief was followed by shock and fear.

06:24I have since reported this information to the authorities.

06:36Regardless of the mounting evidence of her potential involvement in the assault,

06:41Tanya would be able to compete in the Olympics as the investigation was still ongoing.

06:45As the Olympics approached, Kerrigan was given the opportunity to contend for the gold.

06:52The figure skating committee was fully aware of the attempt to sabotage Kerrigan.

06:58Seven weeks after the attack, it was time for the showdown at the Winter Olympics in Lillehammer.

07:04The two would share the ice, and everyone had to watch.

07:08Nancy deliberately decided to wear the very same outfit she was attacked in.

07:12You could have cut the tension in the arena with a knife.

07:17Kerrigan's performance went off without a hitch, and she won a silver medal.

07:22Harding, on the other end, dealt with a major issue during her performance.

07:27And now the public address is announcing Tanya Harding's name.

07:31And she's still lacing up her boots.

07:35And this is every skater's recurring nightmare.

07:39This is one that you wake up screaming from every morning.

07:43It's not going to hold me.

07:46Well, she's still obviously worried about the lace.

07:50She should be more worried about the performance,

07:52but I guess you can't worry about the performance unless your equipment is ready.

07:56Whether she's going to actually be skating.

08:00She looked down at her skate.

08:01It looked like she was uncomfortable, and I think she's going to quit.

08:06Her run landed her in eighth place.

08:20Many called it karma as they believed she was involved in the attack along with her team.

08:26Shortly after the event, the investigation wrapped for the Nancy Kerrigan attack.

08:30Law enforcement had a solid case against Tonya.

08:33Along with the testimonies of her team, her inconsistencies in interviews,

08:39and finding a note of Kerrigan's training schedule in Harding's handwriting.

08:42She officially pleaded guilty to the charge of conspiracy to hinder prosecution.

08:49She received three years probation and was slapped with a $160,000 fine.

08:54A few months later, her 1994 national championships title was revoked.

09:01And she was permanently banned from the U.S. Figure Skating Association.

09:06With the exception of Harding, everyone else involved in the attack on Kerrigan's Serb jail time.

09:12Tonya unable to compete in figure skating anymore.

09:16Her career went spiraling down in the aftermath.

09:19She used her notoriety to explore other avenues in order to make a living.

09:25She took on a few small acting roles and even tried boxing.

09:30How did you prepare for the fight?

09:32I trained really hard.

09:34I ate a lot of chickens.

09:35I fought some Mexican girls in a parking lot.

09:39And I threw a keg through my boyfriend's window.

09:42Woo!

09:43All the pundits and all the smart folks, they were saying,

09:46okay, his only chance now, he's got a kneecapper.

09:49He's got to do a Tonya Harding on the front running.

09:52What do you think about this story?

09:55Was a lifetime ban from the sport she loved justified?

09:59Do you think she was the mastermind behind it all?

10:03Leave a comment below and let me know.

10:05I'll see you next time.

10:06I'll see you next time.

10:07Bye-bye.

10:08Bye-bye.

10:09Bye-bye.

10:10Bye-bye.

10:11Bye-bye.

10:12Bye-bye.

10:13Bye-bye.

10:14Bye-bye.

10:15Bye-bye.

10:16Bye-bye.

10:17Bye-bye.

10:18Bye-bye.

10:19Bye-bye.

10:20Bye-bye.

10:21Bye-bye.

10:22Bye-bye.

10:23Bye-bye.

10:24Bye-bye.

10:25Bye-bye.

10:26Bye-bye.

10:27Bye-bye.

10:28Bye-bye.

10:29Bye-bye.

10:30Bye-bye.

10:31Bye-bye.

10:32Bye-bye.

10:33Bye-bye.

Category

Transcript

Recommended