Kerrigan named to Hall of Fame
Published on January 14th, 2004
STONEHAM, MA - Nearly ten years to the day after she was tragically clubbed in the knee during a figure skating competition, Stoneham native and two-time Olympic Medalist Nancy Kerrigan was inducted in the U.S. Figure Skating Hall of Fame, Colorado Springs, Colo.
The announcement came as part of the 90th U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Atlanta, Ga., and Kerrigan was formally inducted on Friday evening during the Championships.
"When I started skating, I was six-years-old," said Kerrigan in an interview with the Early Show in CBS. "When I was growing up, I thought 'make enough money for books or college.' I just had no idea so many opportunities would open up. And to have this, to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. I never dreamed such a thing. It's not a dream come true. It's more than that."
Kerrigan leads a group of six new inductees into the Hall including Jill Watson and Peter Oppegard (1998 bronze medalists, the last U.S pair to medal), Official Hugh Graham and coaches Norma and Wally Sahlin.
Kerrigan, a 1988 graduate of Stoneham High School, is one of only five American woman to snare a pair of Olympic medals. Kerrigan won a bronze medal during the Winter Games in Albertville in 1992 and finished as a Silver Medalist in Lillehammer in 1994 -- finishing second to Oksana Baiul by a narrow margin.
"The most common thing people say to me still to this day is that 'You were great and you deserved the gold.' And it's amazing," said Kerrigan during the interview. "I think that people are still thinking of that and remembering it that way."
The Friday induction took place three days after the tenth Anniversary of the infamous Jan. 7 knee-clubbing. Figure skating competitor Tonya Harding later admitted that, along with boyfriend Jeff Gilhooly and cohort Shawn Eckhardt, she was involved in the attempt to injure Kerrigan.
To this day, thoughts about the event conjure up images of a tearful Kerrigan lying on the carpet, clutching the wrenched knee and crying out "Why...why...why me. Why anybody."
"I couldn't walk for quite some time, a couple of weeks probably," remembered Kerrigan during the interview. "So I trained and got ready for the Olympic figure skating event in a pool, which makes no sense to be training for your sport doing something completely else."
"I couldn't have withstood the weight for -- I would say -- two weeks," added Kerrigan. "Then I did a lot of light stuff and still mostly in the gym before even (going) on the ice. It kept my body in shape. Actually I was stronger probably than ever. You get in the pool; you work every muscle."
Kerrigan said that it was nice to be recognized strictly for ice achievements, and not as a footnote in a bizarre incident from a decade ago.
"I was just so amazed, sort of looking back at myself as someone else, that I could go through that and make that happen," said Kerrigan. "And what's nice about being inducted in the Hall of Fame is that I'm being recognized for the skating and for what I've done on the ice as opposed to being a victim and having no control over so many things that happened."
"A lot of people remember me for that, so it's nice to be recognized for what I've done on the ice," added Kerrigan.
Kerrigan keeps active in the figure skating community and does some broadcasting for figure skating events, as well as a host of charity work. Kerrigan also established the Nancy Kerrigan Foundation to raise awareness and support for the visually impaired, in honor of her mother Brenda -- who is legally blind.
Many remember the indelible images of Kerrigan's mother sitting close to the television screen stealing glimpses of her little girl capturing Olympic Silver.
Kerrigan, who married her agent Jerry Solomon and has a 7-year-old son Matthew, advised aspiring figure skaters to do it "as long as they're having fun."
"I think they'll do their best job if they enjoy what they're doing," said Kerrigan to CBS. "It's almost not worth it. It's such hard work, and if you don't love it, it's too hard I think. You put out your best performance when you're enjoying yourself."
The U.S. Figure Skating Hall of Fame was established in 1976 to honor those who have made outstanding contributions to the sport of figure skating in the U.S. Nominees may be inducted for outstanding performances as competitors, professional coaches and other significant accomplishments. To be considered, a competitive nominee must have been retired for at least five years. There are 23 electors for Hall of Fame, including former champions, judges and skating officials.
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