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- [00:00]
Lindsey Graham
There are more ways than ever to listen to History Daily ad free. Listen with Wondry plus in the Wondery app as a member of Noiser plus at noiser.com or in Apple Podcasts.
- [00:11]
Narrator
Or you can get all of History Daily plus other fantastic history podcasts@intohristory.com It's February 25, 1994, at the Hamar Olympic Amphitheater near Lillehammer, Norway. 24 year old figure skater Nancy Kerrigan grins as she leaps and pirouettes on the ice. She's pleased with herself. She hasn't made a single error so far in her four minute routine. It's the most important skate of Nancy's life. This is her second and final routine in the 1994 Winter Olympics, and Nancy is one of the favorites to win a medal. Nancy moves into the final element of her routine. She spins as she bends down on one leg before rising up, tucking her arms close to her body and rotating so quickly that she transforms into a human blur. Then Nancy stops and lifts her arms into the air triumphantly. She holds her final pose for a moment and then breaks into an even broader smile. Nancy knows that her performance was good enough to win an Olympic medal. The reaction of the crowd shows that they are delighted for her too. So Nancy curtsies to each side of the arena before skating off the ice and into the arms of her coach. She hears him whisper into her ear, you are so gutsy. But when Nancy sits down to await her scores, she feels a familiar dull ache return to her right knee, a reminder of the brutal assault that almost kept her out of the Olympics. No event in the 1994 Winter Olympics catches the world's attention more than the ladies figure skating program. Nancy Kerrigan's silver medal is not just a sporting success, but a remarkable comeback for an athlete whose dream of Olympic glory was almost taken away by vicious and violent rivalry. Just seven weeks earlier, Nancy was injured in an attack designed to benefit her fellow American skater Tonya Harding, Shocking the Sporty World on January 6, 1994. Hi, I'm Lindsey Graham, the host of Wondry's American Scandal.
- [02:28]
Lindsey Graham
Our latest series tells the story of.
- [02:30]
Narrator
The Challenger space shuttle disaster, which killed.
- [02:33]
Lindsey Graham
Seven astronauts, including teacher Christa McAuliffe, after NASA ignored a fatal design flaw.
- [02:38]
Narrator
Follow American Scandal on the Wonder App or wherever you get your podcasts from. Noiser and Airship. I'm Lindsey Graham and this is History. Daily History is made every day on this podcast. Every day we tell the true stories of the people and events that shaped our world. Today is January 6, 1994 the attack on Nancy Kerrigan It's February 16, 1991, at the Target center in Minneapolis, Minnesota, three years before Nancy Kerrigan will win a silver medal in the Winter Olympics. 20 year old Tonya Harding takes her place on the ice and waits for the music that will accompany her free skate routine. She controls her breathing and tries to keep calm. Tonya is currently in second place in the US Figure Skating Championship, but she's about to unleash a new trick that she hopes will send her to the top of the leaderboard. For most of Tanya's career so far, she's been an underdog. Many of America's top figure skaters come from affluent middle class families and trained at the best ranks. But Tonya's family was different. Her father was often unemployed and her mother struggled to earn enough as a waitress to support the family. Life at home had been hard for Tonya. She was sexually assaulted by her half brother and her mother was abusive, even throwing a knife at her on one occasion. At the age of 19, Tonya married Jeff Gillooly. But he has been controlling and physically abusive too. Tonya's one escape from her domestic misery has always been the skating rink. As a child she had a natural talent and soon learned to complete difficult jumps and moves. She was picked up by a coach and soon after began to win professional competitions. A few months ago, Tanya's coach had her practicing a triple Axel three spins in the air after a forward facing takeoff. It's the most difficult jump any skater dares attempt, and no American female skater has ever landed one in competition before. Tanya hopes she can be the first, and if she lands the jump today, she will certainly become national champion. When the music begins, Tanya eases into her routine with some spins. Then she begins to circle the rink, picking up speed for her first jump, a triple lutz. Soaring through the air, she lands perfectly. But the triple lutz is simple compared to the next trick, the triple axel. Tanya skates a length of the ice to compose herself. Then she picks up the pace at speed. She plants her foot and leaps as high as she can, spinning around three times. Tanya finishes the last rotation just before landing back on the ice and turning out of the move. Even though Tanya is less than a minute into her routine, she cannot help roaring with delight and pumping her fists. The crowd does the same. They know they have just witnessed a milestone in American skating history. The rest of Tanya's routine passes without error, and when she skates off the ice, she's already punching the air. She knows she has just skated the best routine of her life. Tanya turns to her left and a television interviewer thrusts a microphone in her face, wanting to know when Tanya made the final decision to attempt the Triple Axel. Tanya is only too happy to tell her.
- [06:17]
Tonya Harding
I made it yesterday and I knew that I had nothing to lose. I could go out and do everything and I'm so happy with myself and I just want to thank God and my club, Carousel Figure Skein Club for all their support and especially my husband.
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Narrator
Tanya feels a thrill when the interviewer confirms that her scores have been tabulated. Tanya's impressive free skate routine has sent her into first place. And for the first time in her career, Tonya is the American Figure skating champion. She has earned a place on the U.S. team for the next month's World Championship. Tanya's successful completion of the Triple Axel will confirm that she is one of the best figure skaters in America. But she will not be the only woman who has the talent to succeed. Christy Yamaguchi came a close second at the US Championships and she will beat Tonya at the following month's World Championship. And in third place at both the US And World Championships will be Nancy Kerrigan, a consistent and hard working skater whose reserved style many prefer to Tanya's flair. And over the next three years, it will be Nancy who will become Tanya's biggest rival in the run up to the next Winter Olympics. And as stakes rise, this rivalry between the two would become so heated that Tanya and her husband will turn to criminal action in an attempt to keep Tanya on top.
- [07:42]
Lindsey Graham
History Daily is sponsored by Acorns. Studying history is studying survival.
- [07:47]
Narrator
And at the heart of survival most.
- [07:48]
Lindsey Graham
Of the time is money. It's always been a challenge. From bartering livestock to trading crypto, saving and investing feels aspirational. Something you want to do, but just not right now. In fact, last year, Save more money was the most popular New Year's resolution in America. So how do you start for real? Acorns makes it easy to start automatically saving and investing so your money has a chance to grow for you, your kids and your retirement. You don't need to be an expert. Acorns will recommend a diversified portfolio that fits you and your money goals. You don't need to be rich. Acorns lets you invest with the spare money you've got right now. You can start with $5 or even just your spare change. Head to acorns.com historydaily or download the Acorns app to start saving and investing for your future. Today, paid non client endorsement compensation provides incentive to positively promote Acorns tier 2 compensation provided investing involves risk. ACORNS Advisors LLC and SEC Registered Investment Advisor. View disclosures@acorns.com historydaily they say Hollywood is.
- [08:48]
Jeff Gillooly
Where dreams are made. A seductive city where many flock to get rich, be adored and capture America's heart. But when the spotlight turns off, fame, fortune and lives can disappear in an instant. When TV producer Roy Radin was found dead in a Canyon near LA in 1983, there were many questions surrounding his death. The last person seen with him was Lainey Jacobs, a seductive cocaine dealer who desperately wanted to be part of the Hollywood elite. Together, they were trying to break into the movie industry. But things took a dark turn when a million dollars worth of cocaine and cash went missing. From Wondery comes a new season of the hit show Hollywood and Crime the Cotton Club Murder. Follow Hollywood and Crime the Cotton Club Murder on the Wondery app or wherever you get your podcasts. You can binge all episodes of the Cotton Club Murder early and ad free right now by joining Wondery.
- [09:54]
Narrator
It's the middle of December 1993. One month before the attack on Nancy Kerrigan, 26 year old Jeff Gillooly picks up the telephone ringing inside his rented house in Portland, Oregon. On the other end of the phone, he hears the tearful voice of his ex wife Tanya Harding speaking to him from Chiba, Japan. Jeff listens as Tanya miserably explains how she fell on her combination jump at her latest competition. The mistake dropped her down to fourth place, and to Tanya, this is unacceptable. The US Championships are coming up and she can't place fourth there. Only the top two skaters in that competition will represent the USA the next Winter Olympics. Tanya is determined to be one of them. After winning the US Championships in 1991 with her first triple Axel, Tanya's skating slipped. She won only one competition over the next three years. She did not medal in the 1992 Winter Olympics. She even lost the ability to land the triple axel, a move now indelibly associated with her. Tanya's domestic life took a turn for the worse too. She and her husband, Jeff briefly separated in the summer of 1991. They reconciled, but police were called to domestic disturbances at their house on a number of occasions. Four months ago a judge granted them a divorce, but they hadn't actually split up. They still live together when Tanya is not away competing and Jeff continues to act as Tanya's manager. So for weeks, Jeff has wondered how to ensure Tanya does well at the U.S. championships and is selected for the Winter Olympics because if she makes the Olympic team, lucrative sponsorships and endorsements will follow. So, trying to console his crying ex wife, Jeff tells Tania that he'll think of a solution and then ends their call. Immediately after he dials the number of his old school friend Shawn Eckert, who has recently started a bodyguard business, although he doesn't actually have any clients yet. Over the phone, Jeff explains to Sean that Tanya is worried she won't place high enough at the U.S. championships to make the Olympic team. Jeff waits for a response, but Sean is silent on the other end of the phone. So with a sigh, Jeff spells out his request. He asks Sean if he knows anybody who might be able to disable Tanya's biggest rival, reigning national champion Nancy Kerrigan. Jeff wonders if there's anyone who can make it so that Nancy wouldn't be able to skate at the US Championships again. There's silence on the other end of the phone, but then Sean says he might know some guys for the job. Two weeks later, Jeff parks his Ford pickup and walks up to a small house. He rings the doorbell, but is surprised when the door is answered by Shawn Eckhardt's mother. Then it dawns on Jeff this isn't the office of a busy bodyguarding firm, but Sean's parents house where Shawn is trying to build a business out of a converted bedroom inside. Nevertheless, Jeff enters and greets Sean warmly. He also shakes hands with two men he doesn't know. They introduce themselves as Shane Stant and Derek Smith, and they say they can solve any problems Jeff might need fixing. Jeff takes a deep breath and explains that he wants them to stop Nancy Kerrigan from competing at the US Championships. Derek asks how much Jeff is willing to pay and Jeff says he has $6,000 and if Tanya makes it to the Olympics and earns enough from endorsements, they'll be able to pay the men $1,000 a week to be her bodyguards. Derek nods and says the fee is satisfactory. Then the conspirators begin brainstorming ideas to take Nancy out. Sean floats the idea of cutting her Achilles tendon, but Shane thinks the blood splatter would be too easy to trace. Sean offers a new idea. Running Nancy off the road when she's driving. But Jeff quickly interrupts, saying he doesn't want to go that far. They don't need to kill Nancy, they just need to injure her. Maybe her right leg, the one she lands on when she jumps from the ice. Eventually, the men agree to a plan. Derek and Shane will break Nancy's right leg. Soon after, Jeff explains the plan to an impatient and nervous Ms. Tanya. He says he needs to return to the house later with cash and photos of Nancy so the attackers can pick out their target. But as Jeff continues to explain the plan, he begins to feel a little uneasy. This is serious business and wants Tanya to make the final call. He is surprised by her levity when Tanya giggles and replies, let's do it. Jeff and Tanya's decision will become one of spirit sport's most infamous incidents of rivalry. The fallout will cast Nancy Kerrigan as an innocent victim in a quest for a fairy tale comeback while forever tainting Tonya Harding's reputation as a vindictive schemer. It's 2:30pm on January 6, 1994, at Cobo arena in Detroit, Michigan, one day before the ladies competition at the US Championships. 22 year old Shane Stant loiters at the side of the rink watching Nancy Kerrigan practice her routine. He glances around. The seats are empty, but there are plenty of other competitors and officials in the arena. He glumly stares at the television camera filming Nancy's preparations. He's annoyed that so many potential witnesses are here and he's running out of time to break Nancy's leg before the U.S. championships start. Already, Shane has faced plenty of problems in the lead up to today. He originally planned to attack Nancy at the rink where she trained in Massachusetts, but Shane couldn't rent a car at the airport because he didn't have his credit card. When he eventually made it to the ice rink, he was told Nancy had already left for the U.S. championships in Detroit. So Shane boarded a Greyhound bus and traveled west. Now he is as close as he ever has been to Nancy, but he's still waiting for an opportunity to carry out the attack. A sudden swish of skates catches Shane's attention. He sees Nancy step off the ice and fit guards onto the blades of her skates. He watches her walk through a curtain and down a corridor underneath the auditorium seats. Then Shane notices the cameraman lift his equipment off his shoulder and turn it off. Shane realizes this is his chance. He pushes past the cameraman and through the curtain. As soon as he's in the corridor, Shane takes a collapsible steel baton from his pocket and extends it to its full length. Nancy has stopped to speak to a woman. Shane walks up to them, swings his arm and smashes the baton into Nancy's right leg just above the knee. Nancy collapses to the floor, screaming, and Shane doesn't wait around. He runs down the hall and pushes against a plexiglass door leading outside, but it's locked. Shayne panics as he hears people rush to Nancy's aid. Fearing he'll be caught, Shane begins smashing the glass with the baton, breaks through and runs to a parked car, jumping into the passenger seat. In the driver's seat, his fellow conspirator Derek Smith has been waiting and speeds away from the Cobra arena even before Shane has a chance to tell him that he's pulled off the attack. But Shane actually hasn't done the job. Nancy's leg is not broken. The assault leaves her with a bruised knee and tendon, and she is forced to withdraw from the US Championships, leaving Tania to come first. But given the extenuating circumstance, the US Olympic Committee agrees to grant Nancy space on the Olympic team. Seven weeks later, she will ride a wave of sympathy and popular support to the silver medal while Tonya Harding is booed as she finishes in eighth place at the Winter Olympics. And soon after, the conspiracy unravels. Law enforcement begins to put the pieces together and for their roles in the attack, Jeff Gillooly and his conspirators will all face jail time. Tonya Harding will avoid prison but face three years probation, a fine and community service. Later, she will also be stripped of her national title and banned for life from the US Figure Skating Association. Not at all the result that Tanya was hoping for following the infamous attack on Nancy Kerrigan on January 6, 1994. Next on History Daily 1-7-15, 1858 a surprise attack on the port of Calais ejects the English from their last stronghold in mainland France. From noiser and airship. This is History Daily Hosted, edited and executive produced by me, Lindsey Graham Audio editing and sound design by Molly Bond Music by Lindsay Graham this episode is written and researched by Scott Reeves. Produced by Alexandra Curry Buckner. Executive producers are Stephen Walters for Airship and Pascal Hughes from Noser.