Kristi Yamaguchi told Nancy Kerrigan to “break a leg” on her “Dancing with the Stars” debut in an innocent good-luck tweet between friends that generated plenty of reaction.
“So excited for you @NancyAKerrigan ! Can’t wait to see you grace that ballroom floor, break a leg! #DWTS,” was posted on Yamaguchi’s account Monday morning.
It generated more than 6,000 likes, 3,000 retweets and 1,000 replies, many referencing the horrible attack on Kerrigan before the 1994 U.S. Championships (where Kerrigan’s knee was bruised, but not broken).
Yamaguchi’s spokeswoman says in a statement that “Kristi loves Nancy” and “no ill will was intended,” according to The Associated Press.
The tweet conjured memories of T-shirts sold leading up to the 1994 Lillehammer Olympics with the words “Harding-Kerrigan” on the front and “Norway ’94, Break a Leg!!!” on the back, reported by major media 23 years ago.
Yamaguchi and Kerrigan shared world championships and Olympic podiums in 1991 and 1992 (Yamaguchi winning both times; Kerrigan with bronze).
They remain friends. Kerrigan said she spoke with Yamaguchi, a past “Dancing with the Stars” winner, about the experience, according to TeamUSA.org.
“I said to Kristi, ‘You’ve seen me at shows, Kris, how demanding is it?’” Kerrigan said, according to the report. “She said it’s very demanding, but you have to do it. She’s like, ‘You’ve been through worse, you have to do it, it’s such a great experience.’”
OlympicTalk is on Apple News. Favorite us!
VIDEO: Nancy Kerrigan’s first ‘Dancing with the Stars’ waltz
Follow @nbcolympictalk
