Birth Of Son Gives Kerrigan New Outlook On Competition

Motherhood has not given figure skater Nancy Kerrigan new insight into her storied career, it has merely solidified what she has always known.

“I think with the background I’ve had, I’ve always had pretty good perspective on skating as a sport,” she said. “I’ve always had a great family around me to support me. Friends and family are more important than the sport.”

Having put her much-publicized past behind, Kerrigan is lacing up the skates again for her first competition since giving birth to a son, Matthew.

On Saturday, she’ll compete in the U.S. Professional Figure Skating Championships at the San Jose Arena, against Katarina Witt, Kristi Yamaguchi, Ekaterina Gordeeva and Caryn Kadavy. The competition is the first of five professional events leading to the world championship in Washington, D.C., in December.

Although she made an on-ice appearance four months after Matthew’s arrival in December, Kerrigan’s return to competition meant a lot of hard work.

Kerrigan’s career has seemed to be a series of challenges. The most dramatic moment came in January 1994, when she was whacked on the knee by an assailant at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Detroit.

An associate of rival Tonya Harding was implicated in the attack, and the showdown was set between the two skaters at that year’s Olympics in Lillehammer.

Harding skated miserably - sobbing at one point over a ripped skate lace - while Kerrigan put on the performance of her career. But it wasn’t enough: Kerrigan was edged out of the gold medal by a teenage orphan from Ukraine, Oksana Baiul.

Kerrigan returned home to Massachusetts, married her agent, Jerry Solomon, and had Matthew on Dec. 17. She couldn’t be happier.

“I really enjoy being a mom,” she said.

Her coach, Evy Scotvold, said Kerrigan is a new person since becoming a mother.

“Now she’s skating for herself. She still has that competitive (spirit), because she’s a competitor,” he said. “But now she laughs more. She’ll look over at Matthew and she’ll smile and laugh. She’s much more relaxed.”