Dorothy Hamill cried before the free skate in the Women’s Figure Skating at the Winter Olympics in Innsbruck, Austria, but she managed to keep her composure while she was actually on the ice and was able to deliver a spectacular performance that was good enough to win the gold medal.
Just before it was time for Hamill to take the ice, her nerves got the best of her and tears started to flow. But then she she saw a sign in the stands that read, “Which of the West, Dorothy.” She was touched by the play on words and the show of support. It calmed her nerves and the rest is history.
Today Hamill is probably more famous for her ground breaking hairstyle than for her skating accomplishments.