Nancy Kerrigan facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Nancy Kerrigan
Kerrigan in 1995
Personal information
Full name	Nancy Ann Kerrigan
Country represented	United States
Born	(1969-10-13) October 13, 1969 (age 55) Stoneham, Massachusetts, U.S.
Height	5 ft 4 in
Former coach	Evy Scotvold Mary Scotvold Jr.
Retired	1994
Medal record Representing the  United States Ladies' figure skating Olympic Games Silver 1994 Lillehammer Ladies' singles Bronze 1992 Albertville Ladies' singles World Championships Silver 1992 Oakland Ladies' singles Bronze 1991 Munich Ladies' singles U.S. Championships Gold 1993 Arizona Women's singles Silver 1992 Florida Women's singles Bronze 1991 Minnesota Women's singles Winter Universiade Bronze 1989 Sofia Ladies' singles

Nancy Ann Kerrigan (born October 13, 1969) is a famous American former figure skater. She won many awards, including bronze medals at the 1991 World Championships and the 1992 Winter Olympics. She also earned silver medals at the 1992 World Championships and the 1994 Winter Olympics. In 1993, she became the US National Figure Skating Champion.

Nancy Kerrigan was recognized for her amazing career when she was added to the United States Figure Skating Hall of Fame in 2004. She is also well-known for an incident that happened in 1994. An attacker injured her knee, and it was later found that the attacker was hired by the ex-husband of her skating rival, Tonya Harding. Despite the injury, Nancy recovered quickly and competed in the 1994 Winter Olympics. After the Olympics, Tonya Harding was not allowed to compete in figure skating anymore. Nancy won a silver medal at those Olympics. After retiring from competitive skating, Nancy performed in many ice shows like Champions on Ice. In 2017, she was a contestant on the TV show Dancing with the Stars.

Early Life and Skating Start

Nancy Kerrigan was born in Stoneham, Massachusetts. She was the youngest child and the only daughter in her family. Her father, Daniel, worked hard as a welder, and her mother, Brenda, was a homemaker.

While her two older brothers, Michael and Mark, played hockey, Nancy started figure skating when she was six years old. She began taking private lessons at age eight. By the time she was nine, she won her very first competition, the Boston Open.

Nancy's family did not have a lot of money. Her father sometimes worked three jobs to help pay for her skating lessons and expenses. He even drove the Zamboni at the local ice rink. This helped Nancy get her lessons for free. Nancy was coached by Theresa Martin until she was 16. After that, Evy and Mary Scotvold became her coaches and stayed with her throughout her entire competitive career.

Rising in the Skating World

Nancy Kerrigan started to become well-known in the skating world when she placed fourth at the junior level in the 1987 U.S. Figure Skating Championships. She was known for her strong jumps. However, she was not as strong in compulsory figures, which were a part of skating competitions back then.

She began competing at the senior level the next year. Her national rankings improved each year: 12th in 1988, fifth in 1989, and fourth in 1990. She won a bronze medal at the 1989 Winter Universiade in 1989. Compulsory figures were removed from competitions after the 1990 season, which helped Nancy focus on her strengths.

Competing from 1991 to 1993

Nancy continued to rise in the national rankings, finishing third at the 1991 U.S. Figure Skating Championships. This allowed her to compete in the 1991 World Figure Skating Championships, where she won a bronze medal. This was a special moment because her teammates, Kristi Yamaguchi and Tonya Harding, won gold and silver. This meant that skaters from the United States won all three medals in the women's event for the first time ever at the World Championships.

In 1992, Nancy improved her national ranking again, finishing second. She then won a bronze medal at the 1992 Winter Olympics. Kristi Yamaguchi won the gold medal at those Olympics. Nancy also earned a silver medal at the 1992 World Championships.

In the next season, Nancy became the United States champion. This happened after Kristi Yamaguchi retired from competitive skating. Even though Nancy won, she knew she needed to improve her skating for the World Championships. She won the short program at the World Championships in Prague. However, her free skate performance was not as good, and she ended up in fifth place overall.

Before and after the 1992 Olympics, Nancy had many sponsorship deals with big companies like Campbell's Soup and Reebok. She also had chances to perform professionally. This was allowed because the International Skating Union changed its rules, making it easier for skaters to earn money. To get ready for the 1994 Winter Olympics, Nancy decided to reduce these activities and focus more on her training. She also started working with a sports psychologist to help her manage her nerves during competitions.

The 1994 Incident

On January 6, 1994, something unexpected happened at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Detroit. As Nancy Kerrigan was walking through a hallway after a practice session, someone hit her on her right lower thigh with a baton. The attacker was later caught and identified as Shane Stant. It was discovered that the attack was planned by Tonya Harding's ex-husband, Jeff Gillooly, and another person named Shawn Eckardt. Their goal was to stop Nancy from competing in both the National Championships and the 1994 Lillehammer Olympics.

The moments right after the attack were filmed by a TV camera and shown around the world. The video showed people helping Nancy as she held her knee and cried out. Nancy's father, Daniel, was also seen carrying her away. Because of her injury, Nancy had to withdraw from the U.S. Championships. Tonya Harding won the championship, and Michelle Kwan came in second.

Even though Nancy couldn't finish the U.S. Championships, other skaters agreed that she deserved one of the two spots on the Olympic team. The USFSA (United States Figure Skating Association) chose Nancy for the Olympic team. Michelle Kwan went to Lillehammer as an alternate, in case Tonya Harding was removed from the team.

Nancy recovered quickly from her injury and started training hard again. She practiced her routines many times until she felt completely confident. The huge media attention from the attack actually led to more opportunities for her. She reportedly signed endorsement deals worth $9.5 million before the Olympics even began.

Tonya Harding said she had nothing to do with planning the attack. However, she later admitted to helping to hide the crime. In 2005, Nancy Kerrigan did not want Shane Stant, the attacker, to have the attack removed from his record. She wrote a letter saying that allowing this would be an insult to her and would send a message that such a crime could be forgotten. A judge had already denied Stant's request, stating that it is against the law to remove an assault conviction from someone's record.

The 2017 movie I, Tonya showed this attack.

The 1994 Winter Olympics

Kerrigan on an Azerbaijani postage stamp, dedicated to the 1994 Winter Olympics

The women's single skating event at the 1994 Winter Olympics in Norway happened seven weeks after the attack. Nancy Kerrigan performed what she felt were the best two skates of her life in both the short program and the free skate. She won the silver medal, coming in second to Oksana Baiul. Chen Lu won the bronze, and Tonya Harding finished in eighth place.

During the competition, Tonya Harding had trouble with her skate laces and was given a chance to re-skate by the judges. Nancy Kerrigan was in first place after the short program. However, she lost the free skate and the gold medal to Oksana Baiul in a very close decision by the judges.

Nancy seemed disappointed with her second-place finish. While Nancy and Chen Lu waited for Olympic officials to find a copy of the Ukrainian national anthem for Baiul, someone mistakenly told Nancy that the delay was because Baiul was fixing her makeup. Nancy, showing her frustration, was heard on camera saying, "Oh, come on. So she's going to get out here and cry again. What's the difference?" The TV channel CBS decided to show this comment. This changed how the media showed Nancy, as they had been very protective of her image because of the attack.

Nancy chose not to go to the closing ceremonies at the Olympics. Her agent said this was because security advised her to leave due to threats. However, this was later denied. Instead, she left Norway early to take part in a planned parade at Walt Disney World, which was a sponsor for her.

Walt Disney World Parade

After the 1994 Winter Olympics, Nancy Kerrigan took part in a parade at Walt Disney World. She was heard on a microphone saying to Mickey Mouse, "This is so dumb. I hate it. This is the most corny thing I have ever done." She later explained that her comment was misunderstood. She said she was not talking about the parade itself, but about her agent insisting that she wear her silver medal during the parade. She mentioned that her parents had always taught her not to show off or brag about her achievements. She added that she had nothing against Disney or Mickey Mouse.

Because of the negative media attention, some of Nancy's previously announced endorsement deals and TV appearances were canceled after the Olympics.

Skating Results

Here are some of Nancy Kerrigan's top results in major skating competitions:

Skating Honors

Nancy Kerrigan was honored for her contributions to figure skating. She was inducted into the United States Figure Skating Hall of Fame in 2004. She was also recognized at the Ice Theatre of New York's yearly event in 2008.

Skating Outfits

Nancy Kerrigan's Olympic skating costumes were designed by the famous fashion designer Vera Wang. These designs, along with others, started a new trend in figure skating towards more high-fashion outfits. For example, Nancy's white costume for her 1992 free skate looked like a wedding dress with see-through sleeves.

Vera Wang also designed Nancy's dresses for the 1994 Olympics. She wore a white dress with black velvet for her original program. For her free skate, she wore a beautiful champagne-colored dress decorated with 11,500 rhinestones. Vera Wang gave these two dresses to Nancy. They were valued at about $9,600 and $13,000.

After the Olympics: Professional Skating and TV

After the 1994 Olympics, Nancy Kerrigan became a professional skater. She took part in some competitions like Ice Wars, but she mostly focused on performing in various ice shows. She appeared in popular shows such as Champions on Ice, Broadway on Ice, and an ice show based on the musical Footloose.

In 2003, Nancy became a national spokesperson for Fight for Sight, an organization that helps people with vision problems.

TV Shows, Movies, and Video Games

Nancy Kerrigan has appeared in many TV shows, movies, and even a video game.

• In 1994, she hosted an episode of Saturday Night Live.
• In the 1994 TV movie Tonya and Nancy: The Inside Story, she was played by actress Heather Langenkamp.
• A 1994 arcade video game called Tattoo Assassins featured a character named Karla Keller, who was based on Nancy Kerrigan. In the game, Karla is a figure skater whose rival injures her, causing her to miss the Olympics. Karla then learns martial arts to get revenge.
• In 1995, Nancy had a guest appearance on the TV show Boy Meets World.
• In 2004, she sang a cover of the song "The Best" for a Tina Turner tribute album.

Kerrigan during an interview in 2006

• Nancy appeared on the TV show Skating with Celebrities in 2006.
• She had a small role in the ice-skating comedy movie Blades of Glory (2007) with Will Ferrell.
• Starting in 2005, she hosted Nancy Kerrigan's World of Skating on the Comcast Network. She also worked as a commentator for other skating broadcasts.
• During the 2010 Winter Olympics, Nancy was a special reporter for Entertainment Tonight.
• She wrote a book about advanced figure-skating techniques called Artistry on Ice.
• In 2014, ESPN aired The Price of Gold, a documentary about the 1994 attack. NBC also aired a documentary called Nancy & Tonya during the 2014 Winter Olympics.
• In 2016, Nancy competed on the TV show Flea Market Flip.
• In November 2017, she appeared on Keeping Up with the Kardashians.
• In December 2017, a movie about Tonya Harding and the attack on Nancy, called I, Tonya, was released. Caitlin Carver played Nancy Kerrigan in this film.
• In January 2018, Nancy joined Inside Edition as a special reporter for the Super Bowl. She also appeared as herself in an episode of Fresh Off the Boat.
• In 2021, she had a voice role in the animated Easter movie, Eggs.
• In 2023, she appeared in an advertising campaign for LinkedIn.

Dancing with the Stars

Nancy Kerrigan was a contestant on Dancing with the Stars during its 24th season, which started on March 20, 2017. Her dance partner was Artem Chigvintsev. They were eliminated in the seventh week of the competition.

Personal Life

Nancy Kerrigan graduated from Stoneham High School. She then went to Emmanuel College in Boston to study business. Her mother, Brenda, is legally blind. Because of this, Nancy created the Nancy Kerrigan Foundation. This foundation works to help people understand and support those with vision problems.

Nancy married her agent, Jerry Solomon, on September 9, 1995, the year after she stopped competing. They have three children together: Matthew (born in 1996), Brian (born in 2005), and Nicole (born in 2008). Jerry also has a son from a previous marriage.

See also

In Spanish: Nancy Kerrigan para niños