Nancy Kerrigan - 1993 U.S. Figure Skating Championships, Ladies' Free Skate

[@will74lsn]

this is for sure top 5 in the category "most ridiculous marks ever awarded" lol lol

[@mht4908]

Behind Adelina Sotnikova's win, that was the ultimate robbery

[@AuntStina]

To this day, I hate to hear the commentators say things like “It’s hers to win,” “it’s her turn,” or “it’s her year.” I understand the “it’s hers to win” comment if the skater is in first place or the others ahead of her screw up. I just think these comments are what lead to some of these people thinking they’re entitled to win. Figure skating is too subjective for people to get too comfortable with the idea that they deserve to win because it’s their turn.

[@stephaniedempsey5082]

Christina Cueto totally agree with you there!

[@taynathibault9752]

so true. they know who will win before they have competed..

[@taynathibault9752]

oh ya

[@ManuelPabloArnao]

How can she get 2 5.8’s when she fell once and doubled 2 triples. Insane!!! Thank god for the new system.

[@pooppoopie4838]

most definitely bias at that time

[@gilbertlaylay8210]

This competition was a joke!!

[@natas1333]

Потому что она из США

[@heribertoriverajr8499]

I agree with you! Thank goodness for the new system.

[@genednomyar3383]

No one skated well on this night. They had to give her high scores because they had already given undeservedly high scores to other poor skates. Tonya Harding skated so poorly that she didn't even make the world team in '93.

[@msmo2060]

How did she win with a program like that??!?!??!!

[@valmacclinchy]

It was ridiculous.

[@Karamarika]

Everyone else must have been really bad. Sometimes it's the best of the worst.

[@keeganthorpe]

She always had beautiful costumes. But often gave wobbly and nervous performances.

[@genednomyar3383]

I think she had to pay a high price to wear those Vera Wang costumes, and I don't mean in money. I think they were very uncomfortable to skate in. She clearly had a wedgie throughout the majority of the program, probably from right after the triple flip onward. I often heard her say (about other performances) that she doubled a planned triple because her dress was bugging her. Anyway, I was proud of her that she landed the triple flip, and I loved the wally, wally, triple salchow; the triple toe, double toe combination was also good. Sad to see the fall on the triple lutz, because it was one of her most consistent jumps. Still, all in all, I enjoyed the program, and she never gave up on it. I will say that I think this is about the heaviest I ever saw Nancy on the ice. I preferred her 94 Olympic look, although I think she was hardly eating then.

[@zakariabelkadi9782]

Technically very bad program. Thanks to the judges for their very generous marks. She deserves maximum 5.2.

[@cathm8523]

What the heck would she have got if she had landed her jumps, 6.3?

[@rebekkad.2092]

Vera Wang did not make Tonya Harding's outfits, yet I always preferred them.

[@mikelara2151]

Her coaches should have changed the jumping layout or even better change the entire program. Nancy’s style is not as aggressive as this music requires her to be. I get exhausted for her just watching this program.

[@AuntStina]

She lacked energy & was too wobbly. I didn’t get see the whole competition at the time, but read a quote somewhere that basically said all of the skaters were having trouble that year, possibly due to the heat. The writer went on to say that all Nancy had to do was skate around the rink without falling & she would win. Funny thing is, I’ve seen her do programs in exhibitions & pro competitions where she just skated around without the technical elements & win. Her short program in a pro competition once consisted of her skating around the rink, waving, doing bunny hops, & wallet jumps. Wallet jumps were pointless & she did too many of them in real competitions.

[@waynehentley4332]

@@AuntStina Not true and you know it!!

[@natew5694]

5.8......seriously?

[@jillgalloway6116]

5.8? She had 3 huge mistakes. I would have given her 5.4 & 5.7.

[@Person-mh6xq]

exactly!

[@waynehentley4332]

Giving her low scores at Nationals would have sent the wrong message to the international judges. There's always overcoming at Nationals.

[@janemariecox6547]

Nothing but a 20,000 dollar Vera Wang costume

[@jackien8560]

Gorgeous outfit

[@kitkat-dv3gd]

Fall twice and score 5.8 and 5.9's come on!

[@BeautyQueen79]

Favoritism at its best

[@shihlin1]

You think this skate was bad, check her skate at the 93 Worlds two months later in Prague. She didn't even medal there, it was a disastrous LP, Nancy hitting rock bottom. I will give her credit for picking herself off the floor to almost getting the Gold at the 94 Olympics.

[@miloandtock1]

Her free at the Pro-Am right after Worlds was horrendous as well...I mean she lost to Kadavy there...and fell about 3 times...

[@AllenJones-w3p]

Kehrigen's long programme at the '93 Worlds was arguably the most disappointing performance of her career. Had she not skated so poorly, the scandal of the following year might never have taken place.

[@mikelara2151]

The connections were too difficult for her. They should have redone the jump layout. Shame. It was a good program. 5.8? For technical. Lol

[@figureskatingvideos4644]

I love this program!! Shame she never skated it clean

[@janemariecox6547]

"Beauty" and a 20,000 dollar Vera Wang dress will take you places in the world

[@valmacclinchy]

Unfortunately that was true..

[@auntiechercher4266]

In regard to Nancy's performance here, I think that Tonya actually had a better long program performance a year later in 1994, than this one here.

[@pjbottoms8095]

Still can't believe she won this event with 3 triple jumps (Flip, Toe, and Sal) and the only one that was landed cleanly was the easiest ...the salcow. I really wish they had sent Harding instead of Erwin (who finished 15th at worlds). A case can be made to have sent Bobek too instead of Kwiakowski who didn't make it out of the qualifying round at worlds.

[@enriquetheprofessor]

I agree. That performance would warrant a 3rd place finish in my book.

[@genednomyar3383]

@PJ Bottoms Since when is a triple sal easier than a triple toe? AND, it was a wally, wally, triple sal, and the triple toe was also in combination. Not only so, I noticed nothing unclean about the triple toe, and though the triple flip was "interesting," it was landed on one foot, so I think it would have been judged technically clean as well. Also, bear in mind that the judges had seen her land the lutz in the technical program, and were also aware - as was Dick Button - that she had been landing it all week. I still say that the Vera Wang costumes did her no favors; I think the only Wang long program outfit that was comfortable for her to skate in was the '94 Olumpic long outfit - the gold dress.

[@waynehentley4332]

@@enriquetheprofessor Third place behind who?

[@AllenJones-w3p]

I too wish that Harding had been sent to the 1993 Worlds!

[@Itstonytime77]

She got these marks based on past performance and potential no one could have foreseen how horrible she was going to be at worlds

[@AllenJones-w3p]

I certainly could never have forseen that Nancy would wind up skating so poorly at the 1993 Worlds.

[@candacecrocker352]

Nancy was a pouty snarky ungracious lady. Her skating never impressed me mediocre at best. Tonya's skating was muscular and interesting.

[@valmacclinchy]

Exactly 💯

[@donbudson3217]

I.liked it alot it was a very cheeky performance

[@officeaddict33]

The dress is glorious but her shaky performance and lack of confidence here foreshadowed the epic disaster that was to come at Worlds. Ironically, the knee bashing was a blessing in disguise. She became a great competitor after that and rose to the occasion at the 94 Olympics. Even though she lost to Baiul I respect her for pulling it together under the greatest pressure any skater could face.

[@jeffk5142]

I totally agree with your comment. Nancy built up more confidence after the knee bashing. After she doubled her first jump at the Olympics LP the following year, there was a look of resolve and determination on her face and she completed all her jumps after. Pre-bashing, she would just collapse and appeared to focus instead on her next fitting with Vera Wang instead of the skating at hand.

[@skaterboy-cz9wj]

Ouch!!!!

[@genednomyar3383]

@officeaddict33 She was a pretty good competitor even before the knee bashing. She really buckled down after the '93 worlds. Look at her '93 Piruetten long program performance where she beat every '94 Olympic contender except Baiul, who was not there. She landed everything except the triple loop which she doubled.

[@grantgoffin4774]

@@genednomyar3383 It is true she skated well at 93 Piruetten, but that was her only ever long program at a similar level to her 94 Olympics one. I think her being a strong competitor is questionable. She won medals at each of the 91 worlds, 92 Olympics, and 92 worlds with visibly flawed performances, with 91 worlds probably being the best of the 3.

[@godsmacks1000]

It's sad to think that this would be her last competitive performance at nationals. At least she was able to win a national title before the unfortunate events that happened the next year took her out of the competition.

[@smoothALOE]

Should've been 5.4s to 5.6s, technically. Artistically, 5.5s to 5.7s.

[@waynehentley4332]

No way! What would the international judges think?🤔🤔

[@Dylvente]

I don't know if you watched her performance but she only landed two triples and skated a very slow, lackluster performance. I still think they should have placed her at least third because the women ahead of her weren't much better that night. A very weak Nationals overall.

[@callmej5337]

Actually she landed 3 triples. But yes, she was overscored, both technically and artistically. But boy that spiral is always nice to watch.

[@Dylvente]

@@callmej5337 I was referring to Tonya when I said two triples.

[@louisgrassimedium]

I love Nancy; I'm a fan. However, this, flat-out, IS NOT a gold-medal performance. It seems like the judges were more concerned with *giving* Nancy the gold simply because it was "her turn." But, as I watched this performance yet again, she cleanly lands ONLY 2 triple jumps. Even though this is older, the women's competitions still focused on jumping quite a bit at that point. Plus, the jumps were a salchow and a toe loop- the two easiest jumps. She popped almost every other jump. She did the double axel, yes okay, but that's still just a double. Her triple flip at the beginning was not bad, but the landing definitely wasn't clean. And bottom line: if you're falling on a triple Lutz, you should not win the Gold Medal. Not to sound all biased, but even Tonya's performance was really not very good compared to others. However, she only popped her Lutz into a double, which is better than Nancy. And, she had a very nice, SUCCESSFUL triple flip jump. Even Tonya's artistic elements in her LP were better than usual and at LEAST measured up with Nancy's. Tonya's was not gold-medal worthy either, and in the end they have to reward the gold to someone. But there was no woman that did a very good job @ Nationals in '93...not at all.

[@natew5694]

I heard Elaine Zayak say in an interview that the depressing, lackluster performances in 1993 caused her to think, "I can still compete in this gang, more or less," and to then make the comeback in 1994.

[@marcblunk542]

Louis Josephat Obviously you weren't watching as none of the ladies had a clean performance...NONE

[@miloandtock1]

It was probably the worst final group performance in history - I don't know if anyone else can think of a year where everyone in the last group was this bleh...If Harding had landed her 3T she'd be on the team I am sure - I wonder how she would have done at Worlds when Nancy deteriorated. Tonya missing her normally awesome 3Lo is also a surprise but judges were quick to knock her down, but really..choosing Ervin and Kwiatkowski?

[@louisgrassimedium]

@@marcblunk542 yes that's what I said if you read what I wrote

[@louisgrassimedium]

@@natew5694 I heard her say that too, but I wouldn't blame her at all... It's sad when, at the end of the day, the 1st and 4th place women had technically consistent programs, but there was that much disparity between the scoring

[@janemariecox6547]

A third rate skater in a 20,000 dollar costume

[@angiecastro2457]

@janemarie.... She is a two-time Olympic medalist. Read the information first.

[@kelsey1406]

One of the biggest mistakes the USFSA made that year was sending Lisa and Tonia to worlds instead of Tonya. Nancy was a routine choker when the pressure was on, and Tonya though just about as inconsistent as Nancy was, was a wild card. She would have at least made it through qualifying rounds, and would have given Nancy more confidence to medal.

[@genednomyar3383]

I agree. Having Tonya there would have taken some pressure off Nancy as - even though she hadn't been skating well for more than a year at that time - there was always a posibility and a hope and even a slight expectation that Tonya might have a good skate - might even surprise everyone & land that triple axel. Nancy never did completely master that Beauty & the Beast program. What a wonderful competition it would have been if Nancy had landed everything, skated her personal best, and Tonya had landed her triple axel and skated her best. We never did get to see them at their best against each other.

[@April-k2e]

Has to be rigged. Its like she knew she was going to be the winner. She should not have won this.

[@AlphaPoe]

Beautiful skater. One of the best. After the attack, she fought to come back and got silver at Olympics. Much respect. Tonya got Karma.

[@rovenamoura5882]

No grace! No joy! Plain ...

[@Bnizzofashizzo]

I know this is going to ruffle feathers but, she wasn’t in great shape here.

[@RedbeardNC]

@anubethc45 I liked watching Harding's fierce athleticism and Kerrigan's natural grace and elegant line...however they both appeared to have problems with sportsmanship after every contest I've seen them in starting in '93.

[@syrinx114]

Peggy said there is a “naturalness” to her skating but I have to disagree. Her performances had zero emotion, no feeling of the music, and were filled with just a bunch of awkward and posey arm movements. No dance, no real creativity. Just an above average looking girl in an expensive costume.

[@cayea4076]

She couldn't land a triple lutz, but now Russian skaters are landing quadruple lutzes. Crazy how it's changed!

[@genednomyar3383]

She landed too many triple lutzes in her career to count. She missed several, of course, during her long amateur career, but she landed multitudes of them, including two at the '94 Olympics. She didn't land many in the white Vera Wang dress, or this black Vera Wang dress. To be blunt, I think both those dresses gave her very uncomfortable wedges.

[@valmacclinchy]

​​@@genednomyar3383yes the wedge was awful to look at..but she never was an exciting skater to watch. And her attitude was always snobby.

[@Danny-wy8kz]

she attempted four kinds of triples and fell on once... i’ll give her 5.6 or 5.7 for technical

[@Danny-wy8kz]

I prefer this pro to what she skated at Lillehammer. This one has more natural musical editing and more movement patterns. If she skated this program clean at Lillehammer,she would’ve won.

[@cookiekart]

This costume is beautiful, however how does it reflect Beauty and the Beast?🤔

[@mortner3669]

That has ALWAYS been my thought!!! It's a nice costume, sure, but it doesn't resemble ANYTHING from "Beauty and the Beast." Costumes are supposed to relate to/reflect the theme - and this doesn't :-(

[@waynehentley4332]

@@mortner3669 Not necessarily!

[@JB-ei8eu]

Some people can’t count. THREE triples were landed cleanly. Everyone sucked that year. She deserved gold this time despite mistakes.

[@marcblunk542]

So artistic and beautiful! Her difficult entries in her jumps were so cutting edge. People like to hate on you (lately) Nancy but it was you who brought home 2 Olympic medals. No one can take that away from you. Pure Gold!

[@skaterboy-cz9wj]

Pure silver!!!

[@tarakwannabe675]

Is that Lisa Erwin or Nellie Oleson?

[@abrahamlora329]

This program was her best ever; it’s just a shame she never skated it to its full potential. This had it all and skated clean with all the difficulty would’ve been unbeatable. Her 92 and 94 Olympic programs were duds.. horrible music cuts and selections and uninspired..

[@corawaller-jacobs8007]

I agree. I actually think I enjoy watching this, in spite of its flaws, more than any of her other long programs. I know people feel she could be robotic at times and I think the 92 and 94 programs had strange choreography that brought that out more, particularly with her arms movements.

[@louisgrassimedium]

I still cannot get over this. She landed a triple flip with one hunk of luck, and even still it was a clumsy landing. Then, she just completely fell on her hardest jump. She popped her triple loop. She had one decent 3- Sow that followed her admittedly decent Wally moves {she seemed to be the only prominent skater at the time still performing Wally jumps}; and then she repeated what seemed to be her only lucky triple (the Sow for this performance, I suppose), but doubled it, the 2nd time around. Her double axels were not "pretty," if you know what I mean. They looked clumsy and lacking in power/inspiration. So, basically, a decent 3- Sow, her signature spiral (whoop-di-whoop!!), her running camel in the finale which she was known for (cool, I suppose), a decent triple toe (comparatively basic jump, though!!!); ugh- don't get me wrong. I love Nancy. But c'mon. This wasn't Gold medal. If none of the females merited a Gold medal, then they just shouldn't have awarded it, for the sake of the award's prestige, to be honest. But that's out fast-paced, finalized American society. You can't not have a winner, it just doesn't work, I suppose. :-/ In fact, at least Tonya's performance had more grit and power. Hers was laden with very clumsy mistakes, but at least she clearly gave it her all, and brought her signature grit to the table, along with a new stylish edge, that surprisingly worked for her FS, imo. And her triple flip & triple Sow jumps were flawless, she had a very clean double Axel combination... Tonya legitimately had the flu for the performance; nonetheless her performance definitely had several very noticeable mistakes, but she was more daring and successful than Nancy. Even though Tonya popped her Lutz jump, at least she landed SOME variation of the Lutz... It appeared that ALL the skaters were spoiled here, especially Nancy. The Gold was "hers to take," and she knew that. You don't skate a performance like that even if you know you probably will win the Gold. A showing like that didn't even appear competitive enough for most regional competitions! I just really hate when judges already decide who's gonna win the Gold medal just because "it's HER time."

[@waynehentley4332]

What nonsense! Someone has to win!

[@matthewhines9787]

nancy was the best skater we had that year, but she unfortunately never put it together that year either. In 1994 she was not necessarily the best skater, but she was a much better competitor. Interesting.

[@Karlinberlin1]

Her improvement to 1994 was amazing. Slimmed, full complement of jumps, solid competitor. The kind of transition Gracie Gold needs to make.

[@mariatrotter6889]

No emotion or artistry

[@5954ldydi]

Maria Trotter YES..BORING!

[@marcblunk542]

Maria Trotter bull💩 Nancy always had more artistry than Tonya. Do you need 👓 or 💃 training?

[@marcblunk542]

More graceful and elegant. Judges awarded that heavily

[@erika9763]

Same for Tonya Harding. People complain about Nancy's robotic quality, but Tonya lacked grace, quality positions and skated without power at this particular competition.

[@BeautyQueen79]

Stiff and calculated

[@michaeljj43]

all tonya had to do was look at this performance and the performance at the worlds to know that it was not a definite that nancy would win the gold.

[@Lufthansa631]

Nancy Kerrigon I soooo much more fun, and awe inspiring to watch than Tonya Harding. Actually, I get quite bored watching Tonya compared to Nancy. Much more difficulty, her costumes are more exquisite, and her music is better too. I love the "Beauty and the Beast" theme.

[@shihlin1]

These are high marks for an unremarkable LP. In all fairness to Kerrigan, this is the only LP I've seen where she landed a triple flip, in all her other LP (including her crucial Olympic LP a year later) she lowered that flip jump to a double. But again she chickened out two other triple jumps to a double. I would say Kerrigan was indeed very lucky to win this U.S. Nationals. Undeserving of the high marks she rec"d, but Aha, there was payback a year later when Kerrigan was edged out for the Gold by Oksana Baiul.

[@Dylvente]

She landed a strong triple flip at 1991 Worlds in the long program. A fairly good one in the long program at the 1992 Olympics as well.

[@Dylvente]

But I agree with the rest of it. A weak showing by the women. And very high marks--5.8s for three triples and a fall? At the top of her game Tonya could have easily beaten this on the technical mark and taken the title.

[@genednomyar3383]

@@Dylvente She also landed a strong triple flip at the 1993 Piruetten held at the Olymoic Skating rink in Norway. She beat all those who were expected to contend for the 94 Olympic Gold medal except for Oksana, who was not in attendance.

[@waynehentley4332]

Please! There's always overscoring at Nationals for the benefit of the international judges.

[@Zanaidefr]

compared to the thin, ultra flexible and nimble gazelles we see on ice today Nancy's skating feels so heavy and stiff...Baiul was ahead of her times, she was a butterfly on skates.

[@ANC2002]

Is she wearing a thong? Lol

[@kenmoreSF]

she needs to pull all the "strings" to win this competition.

[@davidcosta4949]

Obviously, she was portraying the Beast in this performance...

[@dashoverton1963]

Lol lol lol

[@mikelara8306]

I did not think this was a good vehicle for her FS season. She was so use to modern music that at least she tried something new.

[@shanitrahan9904]

Nancy Kerrigan is in 1st place & Tonya is in 4th place

[@jackien8560]

Shes gorgeous

[@ART-re1vq]

She was such a snob. But there is no doubt that she is beautiful!

[@johnbondmakeup]

Very Dark Time for USA Figure Skating-

[@stephanjiricek8533]

Well, her dress is short....way too short. Could this be the reason for the 5.9s? Probably this was very enjoyable for some judges

[@3Axel1996]

Most of the judges are either gay men or women. You do the math.

[@stephanjiricek8533]

@@3Axel1996 I wonder about your detailled informations of the judges sexuality ? :O

[@3Axel1996]

@@stephanjiricek8533 Personally know some.

[@Kreatures100]

Gosh I do not like this costume. The sliver thing is way to over done like a holster

[@TinaR39]

Well…..the ensuing Worlds told the story.

[@Bnizzofashizzo]

Her boots are really creased and she did NOT look in shape

[@Aleks0709]

Haha joke.... She should have NEVER won this competition. Never!

[@waynehentley4332]

Who should have? Someone had to win!

[@metsedudenj]

Ugh, that was the worst world team we ever sent....the wrong skaters made the team. Harding is a skank, but deserved the spot

[@franktorres2718]

AKA: Nancy Crying-Again

[@jackien8560]

Ice queen

[@heribertoriverajr8499]

I’m just looking at that 6th place finisher who would dazzle us for the next decade!

[@skaterboy-cz9wj]

Yes but she too duffered here from a jumping bean and worse the coltish jumps all Bambi legs

[@dorothytaylor7830]

She was the FAVORITE. That's why she was in first place. God said the first will be the LAST. 👍

[@russcohen3779]

Nancy should have been a show skater

[@waynehentley4332]

Whatever that means!!

[@AllenJones-w3p]

I think that means a pro skater who performs in ice shows.

[@toomuchsauce5599]

Wow she was horrible, no rhythm what so ever.

[@jenniferboucher755]

Most overrated professional lady skater of all time. She was terrible.

[@janemariecox6547]

Sucks

[@alexandrareis8308]

AH AH AH AH AH THIS JUDGES.....FIRST PLACE FOR FRANCE NOTHING ELSE

[@dashoverton1963]

All that teeth! Yikes!

[@diannashuster5594]

Boring

[@taynathibault9752]

kind of boring by todays standards

[@waynehentley4332]

What a comment!! That was 30 years ago. It's called progress!!