Tonya Harding and Nancy Kerrigan (1994)

In January 1994, associates of figure skater Tonya Harding attacked rival Nancy Kerrigan with a baton, striking her knee to prevent her from competing at the US Championships. Both skaters competed at the Lillehammer Olympics — Kerrigan won silver, Harding finished eighth. Harding was later banned for life from competitive skating. The incident became a cultural phenomenon that transcended sport, turning the working-class Harding vs. privileged Kerrigan narrative into a class warfare story.