If you think figure skating is all about twirling on ice in sparkly costumes than oh boy are you missing the wild side of ice skating. Fire skating just looks like an elegant and graceful dance, but in reality this sport can be quite cut-throat and dangerous. Not to mention that it’s full of truly epic and historic moments. So grab your skates and let’s glide through the stories that put figure skating on the map.
Nancy Kerrigan’s Silver Against All Odds
Nancy Kerrigan won a silver medal at the 1994 Winter Olympics. And while silver might not sound as impressive as gold, wait till you hear about why Nancy’s win is actually quite epic. Nancy had no intention of becoming a part of one of the most infamous sports scandals ever, but it still happened agains her will. Seven weeks before the fateful Winter Olympics of 1994 she was attacked with a baton to the knee, which was a ploy by Tonya Harding’s associates to eradicate the competition. For most athletes that injury would mean that they’re out for the season, if not forever. But Kerrigan came back and was allowed to compete in Lillehammer. Despite all odds she won silver, turning what could have been a tragic end of her career into one of the most iconic comebacks in Olympic history.
John Curry’s Untouchable 1976 Score
When watching figure skating competitions people often fixate more on the female athletes, but let us tell you, the male figure skaters are no joke either. Take for example – John Curry. He performed to Don Quixote at the 1976 Innsbruck Games and brought home the gold medal. What’s more, he casually scored 105.9 out of 108 possible points. That’s still the highest score a male figure skater has ever earned, to this day! That’s not just a record—that’s a mic drop on ice.
Peggy Fleming Bringing a Nation Back
Peggy Fleming’s was the only American to win gold at the 1968 Winter Olympics, so naturally her victory was very memorable and celebrated. But there’s another layer to her victory. You see, just 7 years prior the entirety of the U.S. staking team died in a tragic Sabena Flight 548 crash. The skating program was left completely devastated and many thought that it was the end of U.S. figure staking. So Peggy’s win truly became a symbol of hope and strength, and proof that figure skating in U.S. is far from over.
Debi Thomas Making History in Bronze
Debi Thomas delivered very historic wins in her career. In 1988 at the Calgary Games, she took home the bronze in ladies’ singles, and became the first Black athlete to win any medal at the Winter Olympics. But what’s even more impressive, by that point she’d already won both the World and U.S. Championships two years earlier. Now that’s some groundbreaking achievements.
Torvill & Dean’s Perfect Boléro
Before 1984 ice dance wasn’t seen as a very important event, it was more of an underdog. But Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean changed that once and for all when they showed up at the Sarajevo Olympics with their Boléro routine. Twelve perfect 6.0s. Six 5.9s. Every artistic judge giving them the highest possible score. They didn’t just win gold—they turned ice dance into a worldwide obsession.
Midori Ito’s Triple Axel Game-Changer
The triple axel: the move that haunted female skaters for decades. Until Midori Ito said, “Yeah, I’m doing it.” She became the first woman to land it in international competition in 1988, then nailed it again at the 1992 Winter Olympics to win silver. The jump was so difficult most people doubted it could be done at all. Ito didn’t just land it—she blew the ceiling off what women’s skating could be.
Why These Moments Still Hit Hard
These weren’t just gorgeous routines to clap politely at—they were real turning points. These historic moments on ice where packed with grit, heartbreak, and people smashing through limits everyone thought were set in stone. So next time you watch a skater glide out onto the ice, don’t just see the twirls and glitter. Sometimes, what you’re actually watching is history etching itself into the rink right in front of you.
