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Nancy Kerrigan (born 13 October 1969) is a two-time Olympic figure skating medalist.
She first came to prominence when the United States team scored a medal sweep in the ladies' event in the 1991 World Figure Skating Championships,receiving bronze behind Kristi Yamaguchi and Tonya Harding.Her career seemed headed steadily upward as she received a bronze medal in the 1992 Winter Olympics,and the silver medal at the 1992 world championships.The following season she became United States Champion and was leading the World Championship in Prague after the short program when a disastrous long program resulted in her tumbling to fifth in the standings and a shock win by Oksana Baiul.
She captured national attention on January 6, 1994 when she was clubbed in the knee by Shane Stant, who was hired to do harm to her by Tonya Harding's ex-husband Jeff Gillooly and friend Shawn Eckardt. Despite the unprovoked nature of the attack, she was disparaged somewhat in the press by crying "Why me? Why now?" in what was perceived as a whine rather than, presumably, as a show of bravery against the odds. She went on to win the silver medal in the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer (second to Oksana Baiul). Olympic skating has been marred by many scandals as to dishonest judging, and it may be that on this occasion the judges took pains that they could not be accused of giving Kerrigan the gold in sympathy, and gave it instead to Baiul, who fell during her performance. The controversy still stands to this day on who really won the gold medal of that Olympics. Kerrigan was then scrutinized for saying some harsh things about Baiul before the medal presentation.
Trouble seemed to follow Kerrigan around after the Olympics at a Disney World parade. A camera caught her saying that it was the corniest thing she ever done. This really put a damper on image. In truth, she was not commenting being in the parade, but on the fact she didn't want to wear her silver medal in the parade.
The tabloids also started to publish stories that she was seeing her agent/future husband, Jerry Solomon, while he was still married to his first wife. Solomon had been long separated from his first wife and they were headed to a divorce.
Kerrigan's guest appearance on Saturday Night Live was not well received either. She was nervous throughout the live performance and her acting seemed wooden. Even in the promos for the show she looked uncomfortable.
In a Dateline NBC interview, she responded to all of the attacks made on her, and broke down because of the pressure that took its toll on her everyday life. It was clear she was having a hard time living up to the image of being America's newest skating sweetheart, a title which was given to her by fate. But after a few months, the press moved on and she was able to live a normal life again.
Kerrigan retired from active competition after the Olympics, and is now married with a son, Matthew, with another child on the way. She often appears in ice skating entertainment venues such as Ice Capades. She also created The Nancy Kerrigan Foundation to raise awareness and support for the vision impaired.
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