On March 11, 1994, one of the most shocking moments in sports history occurred during a figure skating competition at the Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway. American skater Nancy Kerrigan was viciously attacked after a practice session by a man hired by the ex-husband of her rival, Tonya Harding.
The attack was planned by Harding's ex-husband, Jeff Gillooly, and her bodyguard, Shawn Eckardt. They hired Shane Stant to carry out the physical assault on Kerrigan, intending to break her leg and prevent her from competing in the upcoming World Championships and the Olympics.
Stant followed Kerrigan after a practice session and struck her on the right knee with a police baton. The attack left Kerrigan injured and crying out, "Why? Why?" as she clutched her knee in pain. The incident was caught on camera and quickly became a media sensation.
Despite the attack, Kerrigan recovered quickly and managed to win a silver medal at the Olympics just seven weeks later. Harding, on the other hand, finished eighth and left the sport in disgrace.
The entire scandal became known as "The Whack Heard Round the World" and remains one of the most infamous incidents in sports history. It was later revealed that Harding knew about the plot to attack Kerrigan, leading to her being banned for life from participating in U.S. Figure Skating events as either a skater or a coach.
The incident has been the subject of numerous documentaries, films, and books, including the 2017 movie "I, Tonya," which offered a somewhat sympathetic portrayal of Harding's life and the events surrounding the attack on Kerrigan.
This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI
