Reply #38: Nancy won the bronze at the 1992 olympics...

[VelmaD]

I think Tonya was 5th. There was actually talk of them and Kristi Yamaguchi sweeping the podium that year because they had done so at the 1991 world championships. (See, I am a skating NUT.) :)

The issue going into 1994 was that Tonya had choked at the 1993 Nationals and didn't even make the world team that year. And then Nancy, who was the favorite to win the gold at 93 worlds, choked in a MAJOR way in the free skate at worlds and dropped to 4th. That performance was why some people didn't expect her to do well in Nagano...she kind of had a history of great short programs and then choking in the free skate.

Back then a country had to have a skater in the top 3 at the previous worlds to qualify 3 skaters to the Olympics. Because Nancy was 4th the US only got to send 2 women to Nagano in 94. That's basically what led to the knee-whacking the next year. There were only 2 spots on the olympic team and Tonya was gonna make darn sure she got one of them.

BTW, the 92 games were in Albertville. Grenoble was 1968 (the year of Peggy Fleming). :)