this is "nightline." >> tonight, dancing through the pain. nancy kerrigan back in the spotlight, trading in her ice skates for dancing shoes. a top contender on "dancing with the stars." >> why dust off your sequins and get in the game? >> because it's fun. >> conquering a life filled with setbacks. >> my world was completely out of control. >> including that infamous attack more than 20 years ago. the two-time olympic medalist instead focusing on her kids, budding olympians themselves. plus, love me tinder. is the dating app famous among its users for hookups settling down? >> we've created over 20 billion connections since we started the app. >> meet the tinder users swiping right, hoping to be swept off their feet.

tinder's in-house sociologist telling us how to find that perfect match. and cabin pressure. the sky is becoming not so friendly. a mom battling a flight attendant over a stroller. the latest scuffle caught on camera. will this ever stop? but first, the "nightline" 5. number 1 in just

♪ good evening. thanks for joining us. tonight, she's fought back from adversity repeatedly to become a champion. but watching two-time olympic medalist nancy kerrigan, you'd never know just how many hardships she's had to endure, including the most infamous one broadcast all over the world. kerrigan is now a contender on "dancing with the stars." her shoes no longer have blades on them, but she's still turning heads with her electric comebacks. she was america's sweetheart on ice, dazzling audiences at the 1994 winter olympics. >> she's back on track. triple toe, triple toe combination. >> reporter: and elegantly sailing across the rink. ♪ free your mind and the rest will follow ♪ now 47-year-old figure skating legend nancy kerrigan trading in

the ice rink for the ballroom. hoping to go from medals to a mirrorball trophy on "dancing with the stars." why do this? why dust off your sequins and get in the game? >> "dancing with the stars"? >> yeah. >> because it's fun to do something new, having a new challenge. i thought it would be really exciting. >> reporter: it's been more than two decades since kerrigan won bronze in '92. >> nancy kerrigan, united states of america. silver in '94. but it's that same olympic grit that his her going for gold on "dancing with the stars." do you feel like your competitive juices are flowing again? >> oh, yeah. i mean, i don't know if i've ever stopped. >> reporter: ever the fierce competitor, what the audience can't see is how she's suffering from back pain. just before the show, four doctors told her she needed

surgery. >> it was pain for months, like massive pain. >> one step, two. >> reporter: she says nerve damage caused her right arm to atrophy. >> we got to the point where we had a lunch break and we went for a sushi and she couldn't lift a bottle of the soy sauce, and i was like, that could be an issue. that could be a problem. >> one, two, three -- >> reporter: now, like so many times before, nancy says she's playing through the pain. >> a lot of people would be like, i'm getting surgery. >> yeah, no. scary. why would i go through surgery on my spine? so scary. >> but you've performed at high levels in pain. >> yeah. i mean, athletes do that all the time. >> reporter: perhaps no greater example of triumph over adversity, her silver medal performance in the 1994 lillehammer games. just weeks before that moment she was embroiled in one of the biggest scandals in sports history, involving her olympic teammate and long-time rival, tonya harding. >> nancy kerrigan, the american

figure skater who is widely considered the favorite to win a winter olympics gold medal, was attacked at a practice session for the u.s. figure skating championships. >> reporter: kerrigan was clubbed on the right knee with a baton by an unidentified man. >> why? >> reporter: the whack heard round the world, as it came to be known. >> so you said why? >> i think it's a reasonable question, frankly. like people made such a big deal and almost like complaining, like why would i say that? but i think it's a reasonable question. >> reporter: when you look back at it now, what do you see? >> it's sad. because i mean, it's almost like somebody else at this point. >> do you want to say anything to us this morning? >> you know, i -- >> we can't talk about the specifics. >> reporter: in a soap opera-like twist, it was tonya harding's ex-husband jeff gillooly who hired the hitman hoping to stop kerrigan from

making the olympic team. but kerrigan quickly recovered and went on to skate the performance of a lifetime at the '94 olympics. harding did not medal. what did you say to people who thought, well, you're only famous because of the notoriety of the attack? >> i don't know that anyone says that. because i have two olympic medals. like they didn't just give them to me. i mean, i worked hard for it. >> reporter: tonya harding always denied any involvement in the attack. but she was fined $100,000 and banned for life from competitive skating. in 2009 oprah asked harding about her former rival. >> what would you want to say to her about all of this? >> well, if she'd let me, i'd love to give her a hug. and just, you know, tell her how proud i am of her being able to, you know, go forward with her life. >> how would you respond to that? >> i have no idea. i don't know. i mean, how do you know how you'd respond? you never know.

>> do you feel like there has been an apology? do you feel like there was, i don't know -- >> we talked. we were at an event four years after i was attacked. but we didn't really speak to each other. so it was very awkward and strange. >> so you don't feel like you ever got an apology? >> not a direct -- does it matter at this point? at some point even strangers were telling me you look so thin. >> reporter: kerrigan's focus instead is on her upcoming film documenting the stories of athletes battling eating disorders, something that resonates with kerrigan. >> i've never seen a doctor. i've never been diagnosed. >> and yet you did struggle with food issues for a while. >> after being attacked, i was being followed around by camera crews and everybody wherever i went, to the training, to the pool. i guess something i didn't pay attention to a lot for a while, that i was not eating and training. >> reporter: just before the '94 games kerrigan says she

inadvertently dropped 15 pounds as a storm of media followed her after the attack. >> my world was completely out of control. it was crazy. so at the time i do feel like that was something i could control but the problem with eating disorders i think it starts to really control you. and it became difficult for me to eat more. it was actually hard and almost like intimidating i think. >> reporter: kerrigan says she had to push herself to eat so she could be healthy enough to compete. olympic hardships weren't her only struggle. her road to motherhood was paved with heartbreak. after son matthew was born in 1996 kerrigan and husband jerry solomon tried for more children. but kerrigan suffered six miscarriages over eight years. >> i don't know why, and doctors had no explanation for me. >> and yet you like a lot of women blamed yourself. >> yeah. because something clearly was wrong with me, it felt like. it's my body that couldn't maintain the pregnancies.

so what was i doing? what's wrong with me? or what did i do years ago? or in my life to deserve that. >> reporter: solomon says those miscarriages were agonizing. >> what was it like as a husband, though, to watch her go from miscarriage to miscarriage to miscarriage? >> it's brutal. other than to try and be there and be a sounding board, a shoulder to cry on or whatever, there's really nothing you can do. >> reporter: it's something she opened up on "dancing with the stars." >> i mean, this like almost felt shameful i think because i couldn't do it on my own. >> reporter: kerrigan and her husband, who also is her manager, eventually turned to fertility treatments. their son brian was born in 2005. daughter nicole came three years later. >> she deals with adversity really, really well. and has a way of dealing with that, internalizing it so that she becomes stronger when she needs to become stronger. >> reporter: kerrigan now sees her tenacity in her own kids.

daughter nicole and son brian are both fiercely competitive gymnasts. >> tuck tight. do you need me? >> reporter: they've shown interest in the family business. >> for most kids when they say mom, i want to go to the olympics, you're like oh, no. >> i mean, but they also have a little distorted view, i think. like my mom did it, how hard can it be? mom's done it, she did it twice. >> reporter: and it's that strength and persistence that may very well transform america's princess on the ice -- into one on the ballroom as well. up next, tinder turning five years old. why the dating app claims it's actually the best place to find true love. and later, more turbulent times for the airlines. another confrontation caught on camera. and it was all over a baby stroller. ive sensitivities, some foods leave your stomach in knots... (groan) ...with bloating,

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you know, the rules of tinder are simple. swipe right if you like smrngs left if you don't. the site claims it's a lot more complicated than that. and now the app says it's evolving beyond that simple swipe to help users find true love. here's abc's nick watt. >> definitely takes a lot for me to step out of my comfort zone. but you're not going to get anywhere in life by sitting back and waiting for things to happen. >> reporter: charlotte's looking for life, about to meet a tinder match. you know the famous slash infamous hookup swipe right if you like app. here's the dude. >> i hope i'm not revealing any

sort of guy code here, but i think the general male approach to tinder is swipe right continuously because you're not going to get a lot of matches in return. >> how are you? >> good to see you. >> reporter: in an increasingly crowded marketplace, tinder is trying to stay ahead of the game by making more top quality matches. >> it's all about innovating. there's 600 million single people on smartphones. tinder by far is the leader in the market 37. >> reporter: marking five years in the game, tinder just conducted a survey. they say 80% of tinder users are actually looking for a long-term relationship. >> instant reaction is oh, that's just for hooking up, that's just for people after a little bit of slap and tickle on a friday night. >> oh, my god. >> are you -- >> we've created over 20 billion connections since we started the app. connections that have resulted in friendships, marriages, dates. >> our data tells you that you're wrong, nick. >> okay. >> reporter: dr. jess carbino is

tinder's in-house sociologist and she's listening in on charlotte's date. >> let's see what happens. >> grew up in wisconsin. >> never been filip. >> it's just like montana but without the mountains and the reasons to visit. >> reporter: banter. >> they're bringing up their backgrounds. which is always really important. >> reporter: dr. jess conducted a survey. remember, it is theirs, not ours. we can't vouch for it or its results. >> online daters are 26% more likely to have had a serious long-term relationship than their offline counterparts. >> reporter: and they say 82% of men on tinder believe fidelity is important. offline daters apparently 71%. >> if you had discovered that tinder users have zero interest in commitment, you'd have kept all of that to yourself? >> i think as a social scientist i have a responsibility to the public to talk about data in a way that's meaningful and very accurate. >> reporter: survey says 70% of online daters always use protection. offline, 63%. >> all these myths that we have

about modern dating are really hooey. >> tinder right now is probably the easiest way in the world to meet someone new. but now we want to make it's easiest place in the world to actually get to know that person. >> reporter: based on feedback, the app is adding bigger buyers, links to social media, and beyond the photo they say education and age are what users care about most. other dating apps like hinge or ditch the swipe altogether to distance themselves from the frivolous hookup thing. >> we really agreed that swipe culture, hookup culture, swiping apps in general had really changed dating for the worse. >> reporter: hinge markets itself as high-end and now charges a fee. >> it's people who are actually invested in meeting people as opposed to, again, like the hookup culture just swiping like oh, she's got, i'm going to go out with her. >> reporter: tinder is sticking with the swipe. >> because it actually mirrors how we think. it's nur lojically and biologically sbased. zplz that frightening. >> if you don't wear a hat you

diminish your chances of being swiped right. it hinders your eye. glasses are going to hinder your chances of being swiped right by 15%. and smile. you signal that you're approachable and you increase your likelihood of being swiped by 14%. >> reporter: remember, charlotte's on that date. >> what's with the phrase virginia is for lovers? >> you know, you're really putting me on the spot with that one. >> she's blushing. she's turning away. and while i often would not recommend turning away on a date, her turning away is signaling that she's a little nervous, a little embarrassed but having a wonderful time. >> reporter: earlier dr. jess appraised charlotte's profile. not bad. >> facing forward is also incredibly critical. >> reporter: that's a disaster. >> there is a guy with his hand around your shoulder. most men don't want to think about your old boyfriend when trying to become your new boyfriend. must love dogs. >> reporter: bio needed work. >> charlotte, you are an interesting, intelligent, charismatic individual who has a really wonderful story to tell. you're not telling people who you are and what you're about

and creating such a good opportunity to connect with somebody at a deeper level. >> the smarter tinder gets the bigger it gets, the larger audiences, the better we get at suggesting the one or two or three people that we think are perfect for you. >> reporter: tinder started out as a few guys on a couch in a conference room. now it's 200-plus people in a whole building here on sunset boulevard. so what will tinder look like in another five years? >> you may be walking down the street, siri or the tinder assistant speaks in your ear and says shawn, you know, there's a girl down the street that we think you might be interested in, you're both free tomorrow night, do you want me to set up a date? >> reporter: meantime, back to charlotte. >> well, cheers to that. >> absolutely. that's a start. >> cheers. you said you like the outdoors. >> yeah, i like the outdoors. but i haven't seen it since i moved here. >> reporter: dr. jess is break cover. >> i'm dr. jess from tinder. >> hi, dr. jess. >> good to meet you. >> hey, charlotte. good to see you guys. you guys are doing such a good

job. i love watching you guys have this witty rapport and banter between the two of you. you guys have been doing a good job connecting about the things you talked about earlier in your bios and really getting to know each other. >> i'm glad you think so. i was worried. >> tinder is seeking a perfect match. but that's really as far as any app can go. >> what happens after that is still the same thing that shakespeare's been talking about. >> reporter: charlotte and sunny. >> i think it went well. i never felt like was trying to find something to say. >> it felt super comfortable actually. >> i would love to go on a second date. >> i think there could be a second date. we had a good chat. >> reporter: star-crossed or not. there isn't an algorithm for that. not yet. i'm nick watt for "nightline" in los angeles. up next, another ugly confrontation on an airplane caught on camera. can the airlines make the skies friendly again? ♪ "the birds and the bees" by dean martin ♪ ♪ let me tell you 'bout the birds the bees ♪ ♪ and the flowers and the trees♪

♪ and the moon up above ♪ and a thing called love. ♪ ♪ let me tell you 'bout the stars in the sk♪, ♪ a girl and a guy ♪ ♪ and the way they could kiss on a night like this ♪ life's as big as you make it. introducing the all-new seven seater volkswagen atlas ♪ and a thing called love. hi, i'm frank. i take movantik for oic, opioid-induced constipation. had a bad back injury, my doctor prescribed opioids which helped with the chronic pain, but backed me up big-time. tried prunes, laxatives, still constipated... had to talk to my doctor. she said, "how long you been holding this in?" (laughs) that was my movantik moment. my doctor told me that movantik is specifically designed for oic and can help you go more often. don't take movantik if you have a bowel blockage

or a history of them. movantik may cause serious side effects, including symptoms of opioid withdrawal, severe stomach pain and/or diarrhea, and tears in the stomach or intestine. tell your doctor about any side effects and about medicines you take. movantik may interact with them causing side effects. why hold it in? have your movantik moment. talk to your doctor about opioid-induced constipation. if you can't afford your medication, astrazeneca may be able to help.

and finally tonight, it's happened again. yet another hairied airline passenger in a face-off on board an airplane.

nbc's linsey davis on the fallout. >> just give me back my stroller, please. >> reporter: it's no secret 2017 has already been quite turbulent for airlines. this mother clashed with an american airlines flight attendant over a double-wide stroller that was supposed to be checked at the gate. >> was very upset and grabbed it and just pulled it, yanked it off, sort of violently yanked it. >> reporter: another passenger on board stepped in. >> hey, bud? hey, bud. if you do that to me, and i'll knock you flat. >> you stay out of this. >> reporter: american airlines removed that crew member from duty and immediately apologized, putting the mother in first class on another flight with a $1,000 voucher and a full refund. >> they understood maybe from the united mishap, they said the right thing. >> reporter: that passenger has since hired attorney domestic demet demetrio. the same lawyer representing dr. david dao, who was dragged off that united airlines flight. >> i've got