There are some scandals in figure skating that have caught the attention of the general public. These are the top stories.
1. Tonya and Nancy
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Just before the 1994 Olympics, right after a practice session at the United States National Figure Skating Championships in Detroit, Michigan, Nancy Kerrigan was attacked and hit hard with a hard object on her knee. The accident made it impossible for her to compete and Tonya Harding won the Championship Ladies event.
Shortly after that, it was alleged that Tonya Harding might have been part of the conspiracy to hurt Nancy. Tonya was banned from U.S. Figure Skating for life.
2. The Russian and Canadian Pair 2002 Olympic Scandal
At the 2002 Winter Olympics, Russians Yelena Berezhnaya and Anton Sikharulidze were awarded the Gold Medal over Canadians Jamie Salé and David Pelletier. The Canadians skated perfectly in their long program, but the Russians made a mistake.
It was discovered shortly after that the French Skating Federation had "made a deal" with the Russians. The "deal" was to give the French the Gold Medal in Ice Dancing and the Russians the Gold in Pair Skating.
3. 1995 U.S. Ladies Champion Nicole Bobek Charged for Home Invasion
Nicole Bobek, who won the U.S. National Ladies title in 1995 and a bronze medal in the 1995 World Championships, was caught and charged in 1994 with first degree home invasion. She was accused of taking cash from a purse. The cash was returned, but she was still charged for the crime.
4. 1994 Olympic Champion Oksana Baiul was in a Car Accident Due to Drunk Driving
Oksana Baiul from the Ukraine won the Olympic Gold Medal in Ladies Figure Skating in 1994. In 1997, due to drunk driving, she was in a car accident. She entered an alcohol rehab program in 1998. Since then, she has returned to professional skating.5. 1968 Olympic Champion Wolfgang Schwarz Sentenced to Eight Years in Prison
In August of 2006, 1968 Olympic Figure Skating Gold Medalist, Wolfgang Schwarz, was sentenced to eight years in prison for planning to kidnap the teenage daughter of a wealthy Romanian businessman. He had planned to ask for nearly four million dollars in ransom.
This was his second serious criminal act. He had also been charged for bringing young Lithuanian girls to Austria to work as prostitutes.
