At the Olympics, the best athletes compete for the gold medal, which can lead to some intense rivalries.
Perhaps the most notorious rivalry at the Olympics took place between professional figure skaters. Nancy Kerrigan and Tonya HardingThe feud between the two escalated to the point where Harding's ex-husband and bodyguard hired a man to hit Kerrigan in the kneecap, banishing her from the 1994 Olympics, and their rivalry and the attack became the subject of a biopic. I, TonyaIt was released in 2017.
“But I overheard them talking about, 'Maybe we should take somebody off so we can make the team,' and I remember saying, 'What 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 were like, 'Well, if someone gets taken out, maybe she can make it.'”
Harding denied any involvement in the attack but pleaded guilty to conspiracy to hinder prosecution. She was fined $150,000, sentenced to three years probation, 500 hours community service, and banned from U.S. Figure Skating.
Keep scrolling to take a look back at some of the biggest Olympic feuds of all time.
Katarina Witt vs. Debi Thomas
The 1988 Winter Olympics saw the birth of a rivalry between Witt and Thomas that was eventually dubbed the “Battle of Carmen”, as both competitors used music from Bizet's opera. Carmen in each of our routines.
Thomas, who was on the U.S. team, started first, while Witt, representing East Germany, placed second, but both skaters had disappointing free skating performances, with Witt winning the gold medal. Thomas made three mistakes on his jumps and ultimately finished third.
Tonya Harding vs. Nancy Kerrigan
The figure skaters began competing against each other in the early '90s, first competing at the 1991 U.S. Figure Skating Championships, where Harding won. The following year, Harding and Kerrigan both competed at the 1992 Winter Olympics. Kristi Yamaguchi won the gold medal, Kerrigan won the bronze medal, and Harding came in fourth.
Two years later, the pair were expected to be selected for the U.S. figure skating team at the Norwegian Olympic Games in 1994. One month before the Olympics, Kerrigan was attacked by a hired assassin after a practice. Shane StanStunt struck Kerrigan in the right leg with the baton.
The attack was planned by Harding's ex-husband. Jeff Gillooly and her bodyguard Shawn EckhartAfter Gillooly confessed to the FBI, Harding denied any involvement.
While Kerrigan was sidelined with an injury, Harding won and qualified for the Olympics. She was unable to compete to qualify for the Olympics when a fellow skater declined to offer her the last spot after her recovery. Luckily for Kerrigan, the injury did not break her bones and she was able to compete in the Olympics. She and Harding competed against each other in Norway, where Kerrigan took home the silver medal and Harding placed eighth.
In March 1994, Harding finally pleaded guilty to “conspiracy to hinder prosecution” as further evidence was presented linking her to the crime. She was initially sentenced to three years' probation and fined $160,000. Harding was ultimately banned for life from the USFSA and stripped of her 1994 U.S. national championship title.
The drama never ends! Although the Olympics is a sporting event, the most shocking events don't always happen during the Games. Over the years, many controversial incidents have made headlines outside the Games. During the 1994 Olympics, ice skater Nancy Kerrigan was attacked with a baton. […]
Oksana Grishuk and Sasha Platov vs. Maia Usova and Alexander Zhulin
The Kerrigan-Harding feud wasn't the only drama at the 1994 Olympics. Russian ice dance partners Maia Usova and Alexander Zhulin, who were married in real life at the time, competed against rivals Oksana Grishuk and Sasha Platov. Grishuk and Platov won gold, while Usova and Zhulin won silver.
But there was drama behind the scenes: Zhulin was allegedly having an affair with Grishuk, and Usova was said to have spotted the pair on a date at Spago in Hollywood. SF GateUsova and Julin eventually divorced after the scandal, but the two continued to be ice partners until 1997.
Neither Grishuk, Usova nor Zhulin have spoken out about the incident.
Gary Hall Jr. vs. Alexander Popov
The American swimmer ignited a rivalry with Popov long before Hall Jr. competed in his first Olympic Games in 1996. The two first met at the 1994 World Championships, where the Russian swimmer took first place and Hall Jr. took second, before facing off in Atlanta.
During the match, the two fighters exchanged heated criticism in front of the press, but Popov ultimately emerged victorious.
“I think this is going to be a long-lasting rivalry,” Hall Jr. said at the time. Tampa Bay Times“Russia always has someone high in the world rankings who is tough to beat. In this Olympics it was Gary versus the Russians.”
Hall Jr. was suspended by the International Swimming Federation for marijuana use in 1998. He issued a statement regarding the allegations.
“I am confident that once I am given the opportunity to present my position, I will be able to prove that I have not violated any FINA rules and that my provisional suspension will be lifted,” he said at the time.
Despite appealing the decision, the suspension remained in place. Hall Jr. returned to compete at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, winning the gold medal in the individual 50m freestyle. Popov finished sixth.
Michael Phelps vs. Milorad Cavic
There was a healthy rivalry between the swimmers, but one day Kavic's name-calling went too far.
“If he loses, it's good for the sport,” Cavic told ESPN about Phelps in August 2008, ahead of the Beijing Summer Olympics. “I think it's good for the sport and I think it's good for him.”
At the time, Phelps didn't respond to Cavic's taunts. Unfortunately for the Serbian swimmer, Phelps went on to win eight gold medals and break records at that Olympics. Cavic came within a hair of beating Phelps in the 100-meter butterfly, finishing in 49.82 seconds for Phelps and 49.95 seconds for Cavic.
However, speculation was rife as to who won the race as it was unclear who touched the wall first. Many believed that it was Cavic who ultimately made contact with the wall first, but that his initial move was not registered by the touchpad. In 2016, Cavic spoke out about the competition and how many believed he was cheated out of the gold medal.
“Personally, if I were in Phelps' position, I don't know how good it would have felt to hold a gold medal that everyone in the world thought wasn't mine,” he said. Vice “I'm not going to take a shot. [at] Michael. Michael had already won 11 gold medals before that race. Michael Phelps is the only Olympian who may have completely lost touch with the gold medal itself.”
Lily King vs. Yulia Efimova
At the 2016 Rio Olympics, a feud erupted between the rivals in the 100-meter breaststroke semifinals: American swimmer King was in high spirits as she prepared for the race, watching the Russian swimmers on the monitor, while Efimova celebrated by wagging her finger after the race.
King waved her finger back, which viewers interpreted as a taunt. After winning the race, King waved her finger back in celebration. Ultimately, the American swimmer won the gold medal.
Years later, the two faced off at the 2019 World Championships, congratulating each other with big laughs.
“I wouldn't say we're completely over it, but we're definitely closer than we were,” King told NBC after her race with Efimova. “Again, that was three years ago. I was 19-and-a-half. I think this whole situation was a little bit exaggerated, but again, we've both grown since then. I think we've both bounced back and are in good spirits about this rivalry.”
Mack Horton vs Sun Yang
Houghton and Yang competed against each other in the 400m freestyle at the 2016 Rio Olympics, where Houghton won gold for Australia and Yang won silver, but tensions rose between the two after Houghton accused the Chinese swimmer of doping and called him a “drug violator.”
Following Horton's comments, Yang responded emotionally to his rival's claims in his post-race press conference, saying he believed Horton was intentionally trying to wear him down mentally, according to CNN.
Ahead of the 2020 Olympics, the two met again at the 2019 World Aquatics Championships, but Yang ultimately won the event, with Houghton coming in second. After the competition, Houghton refused to shake Yang's hand or stand next to him on the podium.
In 2020, Yang was banned for eight years after refusing to submit a sample for a surprise doping test.
“This is unfair. I firmly believe in my innocence,” Sun said. Xinhua News AgencyAccording to China's state-run news agency, The New York Times“I will continue to speak out so that more people can know the truth.”
A year later, Yang's case was reviewed and the Court of Arbitration for Sport upheld the suspension but reduced it to four years.
