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Katarina Witt Sounds Off on Divas

Two-time Olympic Gold Medalist Katarina Witt, who's producing and starring in her second Divas on Ice special for NBC (Saturday 4 pm/ET), insists the world of figure skating is a much friendlier place than that depicted eight years ago in the notorious Tonya Harding&#150Nancy Kerrigan incident. "That was the only one [of its kind], and it still stuck in people's minds," she tells TV Guide Online. Like most pro skaters, the German-born Witt isn't particularly comfortable discussing the rivalry that eventually led to Kerrigan getting her knee smashed by a hired thug. "[That] was really one thing that happened eight years ago, and it's time to get over with it. Basically, it's a very friendly environment. We love the sport, and most of us try to represent it in the right way." Kerrigan will be among the skaters joining Witt on the Divas special, which also will feature performances by Ekatarina Gordeeva, Surya Bonaly, Nic

Rich Brown

Two-time Olympic Gold Medalist Katarina Witt, who's producing and starring in her second Divas on Ice special for NBC (Saturday 4 pm/ET), insists the world of figure skating is a much friendlier place than that depicted eight years ago in the notorious Tonya Harding&#150Nancy Kerrigan incident.

"That was the only one [of its kind], and it still stuck in people's minds," she tells TV Guide Online. Like most pro skaters, the German-born Witt isn't particularly comfortable discussing the rivalry that eventually led to Kerrigan getting her knee smashed by a hired thug. "[That] was really one thing that happened eight years ago, and it's time to get over with it. Basically, it's a very friendly environment. We love the sport, and most of us try to represent it in the right way."

Kerrigan will be among the skaters joining Witt on the Divas special, which also will feature performances by Ekatarina Gordeeva, Surya Bonaly, Nicole Bobek, Denise Biellmann, Rosalynn Sumners, Caryn Kadavy, and Yuka Sato. R&B artist Chante Moore, award-winning country music performer Chely Wright and the avant-garde band Dave's True Story will be on hand as well.

"We have a theme throughout the show, sort of a girl's night out," says Witt, noting that everyone got along just fine during the making of the special at the Hershey Park Arena. "It was a really nice experience with all of us together."

In addition to Divas, Witt says she'll be making a guest appearance on an upcoming Michelle Kwan skating show for Disney. "Looking at her and seeing that hopefully her dream of becoming an Olympic champion will come true next year in Salt Lake City is really nice," she says. "It brings up nice memories of my past."