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
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
Category
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PeopleTranscript
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.
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