The Olympics sees the best athletes competing for gold medals, which can create fierce competition.
Perhaps the most infamous Olympic rivalry occurred between professional figure skaters. Nancy Kerrigan and Tonya Harding. Their feud became so bad that Harding’s ex-husband and bodyguard hired a man to try to break Kerrigan’s kneecap and force her out of the 1994 Olympics. Their rivalry and attacks were the subject of a biopic. Me, TonyaThis book came out in 2017.
“But I overheard them saying, ‘Well, maybe we should get someone out to join the team,’ and I remember saying to them, ‘What the hell are you talking about? I can skate,’” Harding recalled in a 2018 interview. ABC News. “This was a month or two ago. [the attack] But they were talking about skating and they said, ‘Well, maybe we should bring someone in and let her do it.'”
Harding denied any involvement in the attack, but pleaded guilty to conspiracy to obstruct prosecution. She was fined $150,000, sentenced to three years of probation, 500 hours of community service, and banned from the U.S. Figure Skating Association.
Keep scrolling to take a look back at some of the biggest Olympic feuds of the past few years.
Katarina Wit vs. Debi Thomas
The rivalry between Witt and Thomas began at the 1988 Winter Olympics, which was ultimately dubbed the Battle of Carmen. Both ice skaters used music from Bizet’s operas. Carmen In each of our daily lives.
Thomas, who was on the U.S. team, started first, while Witt, representing East Germany, was second. After both skaters underperformed in the free skate, Witt won the gold medal. Thomas had three mistakes on his jumps and ended up in third place.
Tonya Harding vs. Nancy Kerrigan
The figure skaters began competing against each other in the early 90s. They faced each other at the 1991 U.S. Figure Skating Championships, with Harding winning. The following year, Harding and Kerrigan both competed in the 1992 Winter Olympics. While teammates, Kristi Yamaguchi Kerrigan, who won gold, took bronze, and Harding finished fourth.
Two years later, the duo was expected to represent the United States in figure skating at the 1994 Olympics in Norway. A month before the games, Kerrigan was attacked by a hired assassin after practice. Shane StanT. Stant struck Kerrigan’s right leg with his baton.
The attack was orchestrated by Harding’s ex-husband. Jeff Gillooly And her bodyguard Sean EckhartAfter Gillooly confessed to the FBI, Harding denied any involvement.
While Kerrigan was out with an injury, Harding won the championships and qualified for the Olympics. She was unable to compete for her spot at the Olympics, but her fellow skaters stepped forward to offer her the final spot after she recovered. Fortunately, Kerrigan’s injury did not result in a broken bone, and she was able to compete at the Olympics. She and Harding faced off in Norway, with Kerrigan taking silver and Harding finishing eighth.
In March 1994, Harding finally pleaded guilty to the charge of “conspiracy to hinder prosecution” as more evidence emerged linking her to the crime. She initially received three years of probation and a $160,000 fine. Harding was eventually permanently banned from the USFSA and her 1994 national championship title was stripped.
All the drama! The Olympics may be all about sporting activities, but that doesn’t mean the most shocking things happen during the tournament. Over the years, many controversial incidents have made headlines outside the event. In the 1994 games, ice skater Nancy Kerrigan was attacked with a baton. […]
Oksana Grishk and Sasha Platov vs Maia Usova and Alexander Zhulin
Kerrigan and Harding’s feud wasn’t the only drama at the 1994 Olympics. At the time, real-life married Russian ice dancing partners Maia Usova and Alexander Zhulin were pitted against rivals Oksana Grishuk and Sasha Platov. Grishuk and Platov won gold, while Usova and Zhulin took silver.
But drama arose behind the scenes when allegations surfaced that Zhulin had been having an affair with Grishuk, with Usova claiming the pair were seen having a date at Spago in Hollywood. SF Gate. After the scandal, Usova and Zulin eventually divorced, but they remained ice partners until 1997.
Grishuk, Usova and Julian have yet to speak out about the incident.
Gary Hall Jr. vs. Alexander Popov
Long before Hall Jr. competed in his first Olympics in 1996, the American swimmer already had a rivalry with Popov. The two first met at the 1994 World Championships, when the Russian swimmer took first place and Hall Jr. took second before facing off in Atlanta.
Both players hurled abuse at the press throughout the match, but Popov ultimately emerged victorious.
“I think this rivalry is going to be around for a long time,” Hall Jr. said at the time. Tampa Bay Times. “There is always a Russian opponent who is ranked in the world and is hard to beat. At this Olympics, it was Gary versus Russia.”
Hall Jr. was suspended by the International Swimming Federation in 1998 for marijuana use. The swimmer has released a statement responding to the claims.
“I am confident that if I am given the opportunity to state my position, I will be able to prove that I did not violate any FINA regulations and the provisional suspension will be lifted,” he said at the time.
Despite an appeal of the decision, the suspension remained in place. Hall Jr. returned to the 2000 Sydney Olympics, winning gold in the individual 50-meter freestyle. Popov finished sixth.
Michael Phelps vs. Milorad Cavic
The swimmers had a healthy sense of competition, but one day Cavic’s gossip went a little too far.
“It would have been good for the sport if he had lost,” Cavic said of Phelps. ESPEN Ahead of the Beijing Summer Olympics in August 2008. “It’s good for the sport and I think it’ll be good for him.”
At the time, Phelps did not mention Cavic’s taunts. Much to the Serbian swimmer’s anger, Phelps went on to win eight gold medals at those Olympics, breaking the record. Cavic came close to beating Phelps in the 100-meter butterfly. Phelps recorded 49.82 seconds, while Cavic recorded 49.95 seconds.
However, there was speculation about who won the match because it was unclear who touched the wall first. Many believed that Kavic eventually brushed the wall first but the touchpad did not register the initial movement. In 2016, Kavic spoke about the match and how many people thought he was robbed of the gold medal.
“Personally, if I were in Phelps’ shoes, I’m not sure how comfortable I would be with a gold medal that everyone in the world thinks is not mine,” he said. vise At that time, “I’m not going to take a shot [at] Michael. Michael had already won 11 gold medals before those games. Michael Phelps is the only Olympian who has possibly lost all sensitivity to gold medals.”
Lily King vs. Yulia Epimova
At the 2016 Rio Olympics, rival swimmers feuded in the 100m breaststroke semifinals. While King, representing the United States, prepared for the race, she got excited. She watched the Russian swimmer on the monitor, and Efimova waved her finger in celebration after the race.
King responded by wagging her finger, which viewers interpreted as a taunt. After King won the race, she did the wagging gesture again to celebrate her victory. The American swimmer eventually won the gold medal.
Years later, the two faced off at the 2019 World Championships, laughing and congratulating each other.
“I wouldn’t say we’re completely out of sync, but we’re definitely more amicable than we were before,” King said. nbc After the match with Epimova. “Again, that was three years ago. I was 19 and a half… I think things are a little bit exaggerated, but again, we’ve both grown since then. We’ve both improved, and I think we take this competition for granted.”
Mac Horton vs Sun Yang
Horton and Yang faced off in the 400m freestyle at the 2016 Rio Olympics. Horton won gold for Australia, while Yang took silver. But tensions between the two grew when Horton accused the Chinese swimmer of doping, calling him a “drug cheat.”
Following Horton’s comments, Yang reacted emotionally to his rival’s claims during the post-match press conference. cnnYang said she believed Horton deliberately tried to psychologically pressure her.
Ahead of the 2020 Olympics, the pair rematched at the 2019 World Aquatics Championships. However, Yang ended up winning first place and Horton second. After the race, Horton refused to shake Yang’s hand and did not stand next to Yang on the podium.
In 2020, Yang was banned for eight years after refusing to provide a sample for a surprise doping test.
“It’s unfair. I firmly believe in my innocence,” Sun said. Shinwha News AgencyChina’s state-run news agency, The New York Times. “I will definitely appeal to more people to let them know the truth.”
A year later, the two players’ cases were retried, and the Court of Arbitration for Sport upheld the suspensions, but reduced the period to four years.
