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Impact of Nancy Kerrigan-Tonya Harding saga still ongoing debate

Nancy Kerrigan, Tonya Harding

ADVANCE FOR WEEKEND EDITIONS, DEC. 21-22 - FILE - This Jan. 12, 1992 file photo shows Tonya Harding, left, and Nancy Kerrigan at the 1992 U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Orlando, Fla. It’s been nearly 20 years since Kerrigan was clubbed after practice in Detroit by a member of a bumbling goon squad hired by Harding’s ex-husband with the hope of eliminating his former wife’s top competition for the U.S. Olympic team. (AP Photo/Phil Sandlin, File)

AP

One of the most infamous episodes in American sports history still resonates 20 years after it occurred.

On January 6, 1994, Nancy Kerrigan was clubbed on the right leg by a hitman hired by the ex-husband of Tonya Harding while preparing for that year’s U.S. Figure Skating Championships.

The incident made headlines the world over, bringing an added dimension to Kerrigan’s comeback at the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer and also, a massive amount of attention to figure skating as a whole.

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To this day, reactions are mixed about whether or not the Kerrigan-Harding saga was actually a positive for the sport.

Kerrigan herself, along with 1984 Olympic gold medalist figure skater Scott Hamilton and members of the media, have shared their opinions on the matter.

You can hear them in this clip at NBCOlympics.com.

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