Famous figure skaters - Where are they now? | Gallery

By Bryanne Salazar 4:39pm PST, Feb 6, 2018

On Feb. 9, 2018, the XXIII Olympic Winter Games kick off in Pyeongchang, South Korea, featuring the world's top athletes in events like skiing, snowboarding, biathlon, bobsleigh and — our favorite — figure skating. In honor of the Winter Olympics, Wonderwall.com is taking a look back at some of the most famous figure skaters to see where they've gone since triple axel-ing their way to ice skating glory… starting with one of the most famous names in the rink, Nancy Kerrigan. Nancy first came to the world's attention in 1991 but is perhaps best known as the woman who was struck in the knee by an attacker who was later linked to her figure skating competitor, Tonya Harding. Nancy went on to win the silver medal in the 1994 Olympics. Keep reading to see what's happening with Nancy today, as well as the rest of figure skating's best and brightest…

Following the attack, it's been smooth sailing — or skating — for Nancy Kerrigan. She's made numerous film and TV appearances, including in 2007's "Blades of Glory" with Will Ferrell, and in 2017 she appeared on Season 24 of "Dancing with the Stars," making it all the way to Week 7. Last we checked, she hasn't seen the 2017 movie about her infamous assault, "I, Tonya," but maybe she's just too busy executive producing her own documentary, "Why Not Lose 5 Pounds?," a film about eating disorders in competitive sports. In 1995, Nancy married her agent, Jerry Solomon. The couple have three children.

It's impossible to mention Nancy Kerrigan without also talking about Tonya Harding. Like Nancy, Tonya arrived on the world figure skating scene in 1991 and was recognized for becoming the first American female skater to land a triple axel jump during a competition. Her rising star status came to an abrupt halt in 1994 when she was linked to the violent attack on Nancy the month before the Winter Olympics.

Tonya Harding has been on a roller coaster ride of fame and infamy since the mid-'90s. From being featured in a sex tape with ex-hubby Jeff Gillooly (the man convicted of hiring someone to attack Nancy Kerrigan in 1994) to a short-lived boxing career (three wins and three losses, if you're wondering) to her current gig in Washington state where she now welds, paints and builds decks for a living, Tonya's proven she may fall but she's never down for long. Tonya says she's glad that the 2017 biopic based on her life, "I, Tonya" starring Oscar- and Golden Globe-nominated actress Margot Robbie, shares her perspective of the events leading up to Nancy's attack ahead of the 1994 Olympics. In 2010, Tonya got together with the love of her life who later became her third husband, Joseph Price. She proposed to him and got pregnant within weeks of meeting. The couple share one son.

Ukrainian athlete Oksana Baiul was 16 when she won gold at the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway, beating out Nancy Kerrigan, Katarina Witt, Tonya Harding and many more talented women in the ladies' singles figure skating competition.

After the Olympics, Oksana Baiul moved to America and turned professional. In 1997, the skater, who struggled with alcohol issues, got into a car crash that was allegedly caused by drunk driving (although the charge was later dismissed). She released her autobiography, "Oksana, My Own Story," that same year. She continued to skate, performing in shows like "Cold as Ice." She's made TV appearances since then too, judging on the reality skating competition show "Master of Champions" and later showing up on Season 13 of "The Apprentice." In 2018, Oksana will star as the title character in "SONJA Queen of Ice" — a biopic about Norwegian figure skater Sonja Henie.

Michelle Kwan rose to fame in the late '90s as figure skating's newest darling. At just 18, she competed in her first Olympics and went on to win two medals — the silver in 1998 and the bronze in 2002. Michelle — who's the most decorated figure skater in American history — is also a five-time World Championship winner who had a bright athletic career until an injury in 2006 left her unable to compete in the Olympics again.

With Olympic skating on the back burner, Michelle Kwan decided to take time off to focus on her education, earning her undergraduate degree from the University of Denver and her graduate degree from Tufts University. She returned to the 2010 Winter Olympics as a TV correspondent but put her law and diplomacy master's degree to use as a coordinator for Hillary Clinton's 2016 presidential campaign. Now the former star is a Special Olympics board member and an official Public Advocacy Envoy for the U.S. Department of State's Education and Cultural Affairs Bureau. In her spare time, she endorses Procter & Gamble's "Thank You, Mom" campaign, which promotes #LoveOverBias, a sentiment she holds close since her Hong Kong immigrant parents did everything they could to support her athletic dreams, even when faced with difficult financial burdens. Michelle married Clay Pell, a director for strategic planning on National Security Staff at the White House, in 2013, but he filed for divorce in March 2017. The exes did not have any children.

Figure skater Debi Thomas became the first African-American athlete ever to medal at a Winter Olympics when she took home the bronze during the skating competition in Calgary, Canada, in 1988. She also placed in the top three in the World Championships three times, taking the top slot in 1986.

Remarkably, while she was dominating in the Olympics, Debi Thomas was also a freshman at Stanford University. Debi retired from competitive skating when she was 21, graduated from Stanford and attended Northwestern University's medical school. She became an orthopedic surgeon after serving two residencies. Although impressive, Debi's also experienced numerous difficulties since her competitive skating days. After completing a residency at Charles R. Drew University in Los Angeles, Debi developed a reputation for being unpleasant to work with and lost numerous positions. After opening her own practice in the poverty-stricken town of Richlands, Virginia, she soon had to file for bankruptcy. Debi was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2012 and allowed her medical license to expire. In 2014, a GoFundMe account was started for Debi and her fiance, Jamie Looney, to help them "restore financial stability." In 2015, Debi was featured on the OWN self-help series "Iyanla: Fix My Life." Little has been heard from Debi since.

Gold medalist Brian Boitano won the men's singles competition during the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary. He's won four U.S. Championship medals in a row, including two gold. He's also known from the "Battle of the Brians" competition with Canadian rival Brian Orser during the 1988 Winter Games.

Brian Boitano has remained busy on and off the ice. During his competition days, he managed to also star in touring ice shows and in the Emmy-winning film "Carmen On Ice" alongside his Olympic rival, Brian Orser. He officially retired from competitive skating in 1994 and was elected to the World and U.S. Figure Skating Hall of Fame in 1996. He soon transitioned to entertainment and scored his own Food Network show, "What Would Brian Boitano Eat?," and appeared on HGTV in "The Brian Boitano Project." Although those closest to him knew Brian was gay, he didn't come out publicly until December 2013.

Kristi Yamaguchi is a U.S. Figure Skating Hall of Fame and U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame inductee who won the gold medal in the ladies' singles competition at the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville, France.

After the Olympics, Kristi Yamaguchi toured professionally with "Stars on Ice" from 1992 to 2002. In 1996, she added the title philanthropist to her resume by establishing her "Always Dream Foundation" — a charity dedicated to improving childhood literacy. Kristi dominated Season 6 of "Dancing with the Stars," taking home the coveted Mirror Ball trophy upon winning the competition with pro dancer Mark Ballas. Kristi is also a notable children's book author who's written bestsellers like 2011's "Dream Big, Little Pig!" In 2000, she married former hockey player Bret Hedican (whom she met at the Olympics). The couple has two daughters.

In 1976, Dorothy Hamill won the gold medal for ladies' singles figure skating at the Winter Olympics in Austria and at the World Championships. Thanks to her cute hairstyle and bubbly personality, Dorothy earned a reputation as "America's Sweetheart."

After leaving the world of competitive skating behind, Dorothy Hamill toured for a while with the Ice Capades and eventually bought the company (which later went into bankruptcy). Dorothy continued to perform at professional skate shows like "Broadway on Ice." She competed on the 16th season of "Dancing with the Stars" but had to withdraw due to an injury after just two dances. However, she still appears on TV, including on the Food Network show "Chopped." Dorothy wrote two autobiographies and started 2018 by performing in the play on ice "Go Figure: The Randy Gardner Story." In 2009, she married third husband John MacColl. Dorothy has a daughter from her second marriage to Kenneth Forsythe, which ended in 1995.

Scott Hamilton won four consecutive U.S. Championships and four World Championships, all from 1981 to 1984. In '84, he also won the gold medal in the men's singles figure skating competition at the Winter Olympics in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

In the mid-1980s, along with nabbing World Championship titles, Scott Hamilton co-founded "Stars on Ice," a production that would recruit many Olympic medalists for years to come. Scott is a cancer survivor — he was diagnosed with and recovered from testicular cancer in 1997. However, in 2004, 2010 and 2016, he was diagnosed with benign brain tumors, which were found to be the cause of childhood illness he suffered that led to his short (5-foot-4) stature. In 1999, he started the Scott Hamilton CARES Initiative, an organization that focuses on funding cancer research and provides accessible online information for diagnosed patients. His wife, Traci Robinson, and two daughters support him and his many endeavors, which is likely why Scott's known for always being so positive. In 2018, Scott will be an ambassador at the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea.

Skating for formerly recognized East Germany, Katarina Witt was the first woman to win gold medals in the ladies' singles figure skating competition back-to-back since 1936. She did it at the Sarajevo Olympics in 1984 and the Calgary Olympics in 1988.

When the East German regime fell in 1989, Katarina — who learned that she'd been spied on by the Stasi, the East German secret police, since she was 8 years old — finally had the freedom to pursue other interests. By the following year, she'd filmed "Carmen on Ice" in Spain and posed nude for Playboy. Although she retired from amateur competitive skating in 1988, she returned in 1994 for the Lillehammer Olympics, this time representing a unified Germany. In 2005, Katarina published her memoir, "Only With Passion," about her life as a competitive skater. In 2013, ESPN aired "The Diplomat" — a biopic about Katarina's life and how she might have benefited from being favored by her government as well as the backlash she received once West and East Germany were unified. In 2017, the former skating star attempted to help Munich win its bid to host the 2018 Winter Olympics, but Pyeongchang, South Korea, was ultimately selected.

At the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan, 15-year-old Tara Lipinski placed first in the ladies' singles figure skating competition and became the youngest Olympic ice skating gold medalist as well as the youngest athlete period to win gold.

Tara Lipinski retired from competition in 2000 and tried life on the road, touring with "Champions on Ice" and "Stars on Ice." Her age and recurring hip injuries kept her feeling isolated from her skating colleagues and in 2002, she decided to stop touring. Since then, Tara's made a name for herself as a TV personality and fashion and lifestyle analyst. She also secured a spot on the NBC broadcasting team covering all the major ice skating events with fellow skater Johnny Weir, who's also her BFF. The popular team has been so successful at appealing to a younger crowd and generating positive reviews that they even cover the Kentucky Derby. Tara married TV producer Todd Kapostasy in June 2017.

Peggy Fleming is a three-time World Championship gold medalist who won the only medal for the U.S. at the 1968 Olympic Games.

After the Olympics, Peggy Fleming did what so many figure skaters do: She appeared on TV and toured with the Ice Capades and other skating shows. The 2018 Winter Games in Pyeongchang mark the 50-year anniversary of Peggy's incredible Olympic win. In those five decades, she's survived breast cancer (after being diagnosed in 1998) and moved from California to Colorado with her husband, former figure skater Greg Jenkins, to whom she's been married since 1970. The couple have two sons, Andy and Todd, and recently sold their vineyard so they can slow down and enjoy the retired life.

Young Johnny Weir won his first World Junior Championship just six years after first putting on a pair of ice skates. He'd go on to become one of ice skating's elite stars, winning the U.S. Figure Skating Championship in 2004, 2005 and 2006 and twice participating in the Winter Olympics (winning a bronze medal in 2008).

After retiring from competitive skating in 2013, Johnny Weir didn't stay out of the spotlight for long. He joined forces with his fellow ice skating BFF, Tara Lipinski, as figure skating analysts for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. The duo (seen here together in 2018) did so well they've emerged as two of the top figure skating analysts, later transitioning into TV personalities covering red carpet events like the Oscars. In 2015 Johnny and his husband, Victor Voronov divorced following allegations of domestic abuse. Out and proud since 2011 (the same year he published his memoir "Welcome to My World"), Johnny is known for speaking his mind. In 2018 the former ice skating champ slammed the biographical film "I, Tonya" claiming it was "glamorizing this circus." Johnny is set to return to the small screen when he appears on an episode of "Lip Sync Battle." He'll also reunite with Tara for the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang on Feb. 9, 2018.