The Price Of Gold

The Price of Gold recounts the dramatic events surrounding the 1994 Winter Olympics figure skating competition and the infamous attack on Nancy Kerrigan. Directed by Nanette Burstein, this ESPN 30 for 30 production focuses on the rivalry between Kerrigan and Tonya Harding, two American figure skaters with contrasting backgrounds and public images.

The documentary provides a comprehensive look at Tonya Harding’s career, detailing her difficult upbringing, including an abusive mother and her status as an outsider in the figure skating world. Through interviews with Harding, her trainers, and friends, as well as archival footage, the film paints a picture of a talented athlete from a working-class background who struggled to fit into the polished world of professional figure skating.

In contrast, Nancy Kerrigan is portrayed as the elegant brunette who embodied the image that the skating world preferred. The film touches on Kerrigan’s career, though in less detail than Harding’s, highlighting the differences in their public personas and the opportunities afforded to each skater.

The central focus of the documentary is the attack on Nancy Kerrigan, which occurred just weeks before the 1994 Winter Olympics. On January 6, 1994, at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, Kerrigan was struck on the right knee by an unknown assailant, leaving her crying out, “Why, why, why?” The film details the subsequent investigation, which revealed that Harding’s ex-husband, Jeff Gillooly, had orchestrated the attack with his friends in an attempt to eliminate Kerrigan from the competition.

The Price of Gold covers the aftermath of the attack, including the media frenzy that ensued, the investigation’s progress, and its impact on both skaters’ Olympic preparations. The documentary showcases the worldwide spectacle that developed, with Harding at the center of it all, and how the scandal elevated the popularity of professional figure skating.