Tonya Harding

Tonya Maxine Harding (born November 12, 1970) is a former figure skater from Portland, Oregon. Despite a tough childhood in an unstable lower-class family, as well as being plagued by asthma, she became an elite figure skater. She won the U.S. Figure Skating Championships twice and place second in the 1991 World Championships. She was the second woman, and the first American woman, to complete a triple axel jump in competition.

Consequences of the Kerrigan attack

On February 1, 1994, Harding's ex-husband, Jeff Gillooly accepted a plea bargain in exchange for his testimony against Harding. Harding avoided further prosecution and a possible jail sentence in that scandal by pleading guilty on March 16 to hindering the investigation into the attack. She received three years probation, 500 hours community service and a $160,000 fine. She maintains her innocence in the planning of the attack itself, contradicting the confessions of the alleged conspirators.

Related Topics:
February 1 - 1994 - Jeff Gillooly - Plea bargain - March 16

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

After conducting its own investigation of the attack, the U.S. Figure Skating Association (USFSA) stripped Harding of her 1994 U.S. title and banned her for life from participating in any of its sanctioned events, or from becoming a sanctioned coach, because it concluded that she had indeed known about the attack before it happened. Although the USFSA has no control over professional skating events, Harding was also anathema on the pro circuit because few skaters and promoters wanted to work with her. So, while pro skating enjoyed a tremendous boom in popularity as a consequence of the scandal, Harding played no part in it.

Related Topics:
U.S. Figure Skating Association - USFSA

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

During the buildup to the 1994 Olympics, Charles Barkley made the following memorable quote concerning Harding:

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

:I heard Tonya Harding is calling herself the Charles Barkley of figure skating. I was going to sue her for defamation of character, but then I realized I have no character.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~