Tonya and Nancy: Fire and Ice

In our first new episode of 2025, The Retrospectors dive into the scandal that shocked the world of figure skating, when, on 6th January, 1994, Olympic hopeful Nancy Kerrigan was attacked in the leg by a man wielding a police baton in an attempt to incapacitate her.  This wasn’t just a random act of violence; it was part of an orchestrated scheme involving Kerrigan’s rival, Tonya Harding, her ex-husband Jeff Gillooly, and a band of bumbling conspirators. What followed was a tale of ambition, sabotage, and an investigation that captured the world’s attention. In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly explore how the media, both upmarket and tabloid, got their guns out for Harding and backed Kerrigan as the wronged ice princess; recall the drama that played out in Lillehammer that year as both competitors were chosen for the squad; and consider how, despite a raised awareness of the abusive relationships under the surface, the sheer absurdity of Harding’s crime continues to resonate… Further Reading: • ‘Jealousy On Ice’ (The New York Times, 1994):  https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/packages/html/sports/year_in_sports/01.06.html • ’Jeff Gillooly, The Mastermind Behind The Nancy Kerrigan Attack’ (All That’s Interesting, 2024): https://allthatsinteresting.com/jeff-gillooly • ‘Tonya Harding speaks out about Nancy Kerrigan attack’ (Good Morning America, 2018): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SfXm8s37E8g #Sport #Crime #90s #Scandal Love the show? Support us!  Join 🌴CLUB RETROSPECTORS🌴to DITCH THE ADS and get an additional full-length episode each SUNDAY…  … Plus, get weekly bonus bits, and unlock over 100 bits of extra content.  Join now with a free trial on Apple Podcasts or Patreon and support our show ❤️ The Retrospectors are Olly Mann, Rebecca Messina & Arion McNicoll, with Matt Hill. Theme Music: Pass The Peas. Announcer: Bob Ravelli. Graphic Design: Terry Saunders. Edit Producer: Ollie Peart. Copyright: Rethink Audio / Olly Mann 2024. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices