01of 10NANCY KERRIGAN’S POST-ATTACK SILVERMore than 25 years later, the bizarre incident involving Tonya Harding, Nancy Kerrigan and a club to Kerrigan’s knee continues to fascinate. And in 1994, just seven weeks after the attack at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, it was all anyone was talking about. The personal drama made it all the more impressive that Kerrigan recoveredandkept her cool enough to skate to a silver medal, narrowly missing gold to Oksana Baiul in a controversial judging call.
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NANCY KERRIGAN’S POST-ATTACK SILVER
More than 25 years later, the bizarre incident involving Tonya Harding, Nancy Kerrigan and a club to Kerrigan’s knee continues to fascinate. And in 1994, just seven weeks after the attack at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, it was all anyone was talking about. The personal drama made it all the more impressive that Kerrigan recoveredandkept her cool enough to skate to a silver medal, narrowly missing gold to Oksana Baiul in a controversial judging call.
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DEBI THOMAS BECOMES THE FIRST BLACK MEDALIST
03of 10DOROTHY HAMILL’S GOLDHamill, one of the best-known skaters in American history, rose to fame after claiming the gold medal in 1976 in Innsbruck. After the competition she was dubbed “America’s sweetheart,” and her hairstyle earned her a permanent place in pop culture history.
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DOROTHY HAMILL’S GOLD
Hamill, one of the best-known skaters in American history, rose to fame after claiming the gold medal in 1976 in Innsbruck. After the competition she was dubbed “America’s sweetheart,” and her hairstyle earned her a permanent place in pop culture history.
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TARA LIPINSKI UPSETS MICHELLE KWAN FOR GOLD
Clive Brunskill/Allsport/Getty
05of 10SARAH HUGHES GETS GOLD, MICHELLE KWAN GETS BRONZEJACQUES DEMARTHON/AFP/GettyFour years later, in 2002, Kwan again seemed to be the frontrunner. But Hughes' program, which included several triple jumps, outweighed Kwan’s in difficulty. Hughes got the gold in Salt Lake City, while Kwan got the bronze, despite the fact that she had been in first place after the short program.
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SARAH HUGHES GETS GOLD, MICHELLE KWAN GETS BRONZE
JACQUES DEMARTHON/AFP/Getty
Four years later, in 2002, Kwan again seemed to be the frontrunner. But Hughes' program, which included several triple jumps, outweighed Kwan’s in difficulty. Hughes got the gold in Salt Lake City, while Kwan got the bronze, despite the fact that she had been in first place after the short program.
06of 10TIMOTHY GOEBEL LANDS THREE QUAD JUMPSAnother highlight of the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake CIty? Goebel landing a recordthreequad jumps in one single program. Shockingly, the impressive move got him only a bronze medal, falling short to two Russian skaters, but earned him lots of adoration and praise back home in the U.S.A.
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TIMOTHY GOEBEL LANDS THREE QUAD JUMPS
Another highlight of the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake CIty? Goebel landing a recordthreequad jumps in one single program. Shockingly, the impressive move got him only a bronze medal, falling short to two Russian skaters, but earned him lots of adoration and praise back home in the U.S.A.
07of 1014-YEAR-OLD SCOTT ALLEN WINNING BRONZEWinning an Olympic medal is impressive no matter what. But winning a medal at 14 years old? Well, that’s even more awe-inspiring. Allen took home the bronze medal in 1964 at the games in Innsbruck, just two days before his 15th birthday.
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14-YEAR-OLD SCOTT ALLEN WINNING BRONZE
Winning an Olympic medal is impressive no matter what. But winning a medal at 14 years old? Well, that’s even more awe-inspiring. Allen took home the bronze medal in 1964 at the games in Innsbruck, just two days before his 15th birthday.
08of 10MERYL DAVIS AND CHARLIE WHITE’S GOLD MEDAL ICE DANCINGIce dancers Davis and White first paired up in 1997, and continued as a team all the way to the 2014 Olympics in Sochi. There, they nabbed record scores in both their short program and free dance, which earned them a gold medal — the first for the United States in ice dancing.
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MERYL DAVIS AND CHARLIE WHITE’S GOLD MEDAL ICE DANCING
Ice dancers Davis and White first paired up in 1997, and continued as a team all the way to the 2014 Olympics in Sochi. There, they nabbed record scores in both their short program and free dance, which earned them a gold medal — the first for the United States in ice dancing.
09of 10BRIAN BOITANO IS THE FIRST AMERICAN TO LAND A TRIPLE AXELThe triple axel is perhaps the most elusive figure skating jump. And while it’s become more common in men’s programs today, it’s still a big deal — and was an even bigger deal back in 1988. That year in Calgary, Boitano became the first American to land the jump in competition. Competing against Canadian skater Brian Orser in the “Battle of the Brians,” Boitano didn’t just land the notoriously challenging jump — he went on to win gold.
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BRIAN BOITANO IS THE FIRST AMERICAN TO LAND A TRIPLE AXEL
The triple axel is perhaps the most elusive figure skating jump. And while it’s become more common in men’s programs today, it’s still a big deal — and was an even bigger deal back in 1988. That year in Calgary, Boitano became the first American to land the jump in competition. Competing against Canadian skater Brian Orser in the “Battle of the Brians,” Boitano didn’t just land the notoriously challenging jump — he went on to win gold.
10of 10KRISTI YAMAGUCHI’S DROUGHT-ENDING GOLDIn 1992, it had been 16 years since an American woman had brought home figure skating gold — all the way since Hamill’s win in 1976. But Olympic audiences got an end to the drought with Yamaguchi, who won gold in Albertville, France, becoming the first Asian-American woman to win a gold medal at either the SummerorWinter Olympics.
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KRISTI YAMAGUCHI’S DROUGHT-ENDING GOLD
In 1992, it had been 16 years since an American woman had brought home figure skating gold — all the way since Hamill’s win in 1976. But Olympic audiences got an end to the drought with Yamaguchi, who won gold in Albertville, France, becoming the first Asian-American woman to win a gold medal at either the SummerorWinter Olympics.
source: people.com
