Nancy Kerrigan Photograph/Poster/Print Photograph

Nancy Ann Kerrigan is an American figure skater. She is the 1994 Olympic silver medalist, the 1992 Olympic bronze medalist, a two-time World medalist, and the 1993 U.S. national champion.

Kerrigan gained considerable fame beyond the skating world when, on January 6, 1994, she was clubbed in the right knee with a police baton by Shane Stant during a practice round on the eve of the U.S. Figure Skating Championships at Cobo Arena in Detroit, an assault planned by rival Tonya Harding's ex-husband Jeff Gillooly and friend Shawn Eckardt. The incident became known as "The Whack Heard Round the World."

Some of the attack and its aftermath was caught on camera and broadcast around the world, particularly the now famous footage of attendants helping Kerrigan as she grabs at her knee wailing "Why, why, why?" Although Kerrigan's injury forced her to withdraw from the U.S. Championships, her rivals agreed that she merited one of the two spots on the Olympic team. The USFSA chose to name her to the Olympic team rather than second-place finisher Michelle Kwan.

Kerrigan recovered quickly from her knee injury and resumed her intensive training. She practiced by doing complete back-to-back double runthroughs of her programs, until she felt completely confident in her ability to compete under pressure. The fame she had acquired from the attack led to further professional opportunities; it was reported that she had already signed contracts for $9.5 million before the Olympic competition began.

Nancy has written two books titled, "In My Own Words", and "Artistry on Ice".