After a tragic plane crash killed the entire US figure skating team, Peggy Fleming carried a nation’s hopes

Watch the CNN Original Series “Decades in Sports,” which will be premiering on August 2 and available to stream on the CNN app the next day. Across six episodes, the series explores the defining moments, athletes and cultural shifts that shaped sports over the past six decades, from the television revolution and Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, right up to the impact of social media on today’s biggest sports stars. Perhaps no athlete had a bigger impact on their sport than Peggy Fleming did for figure skating in the 1960s. For any athlete, heading into an Olympic Games with the hopes of a nation on their shoulders is a heavy burden to carry. Add to that a devastating tragedy that takes the lives of almost all of their contemporaries, and it’s an entirely different proposition altogether.

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Scoop News DeskUs · Published Sunday, August 2, 2026 at 4:54 PM UTCUpdated Sunday, August 2, 2026 at 5:08 PM UTC

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