Tonya Harding

This article is about the American figure skater. For the Australian softball player, seeTanya Harding.For the Sufjan Stevens song, seeTonya Harding (song).

Tonya Harding
Harding saluting the US Flag at an Olympics event
Full name	Tonya Maxene Price
Born	Tonya Maxene Harding (1970-11-12)November 12, 1970 Portland, Oregon,U.S.
Height	5 ft 1 in (155 cm)
Figure skating career
Country	United States
Coach	Diane Rawlinson (1973–1989; 1992–1994) Dody Teachman (1989–1992)
Medal record Representingthe USA Ladies'Figure skating World Championships 1991 Munich Ladies' singles

Tonya Maxene Price(néeHarding;born November 12, 1970) is an American formerfigure skater,retired boxer, and reality television personality.

Born inPortland, Oregon,Harding was raised by her mother, who enrolled her in ice skating lessons when Tonya was 3 years old. Harding spent much of her early life training, eventually dropping out of high school to devote her time to the sport. After climbing the ranks in theU.S. Figure Skating Championshipsbetween 1986 and 1989, Harding won the 1989Skate Americacompetition. She was the 1991 and 1994 U.S. champion, and1991 World silver medalist.In 1991, she became the first American woman and the second woman in history (afterMidori Ito) to successfully land a tripleAxelin an international competition. Harding is a two-time Olympian and a two-time Skate America Champion.

In January 1994, Harding became embroiled in controversy when her ex-husband, Jeff Gillooly, orchestratedan attackon her fellow U.S. skating rivalNancy Kerrigan.On March 16, 1994, Harding accepted aplea bargainin which she pled guilty toconspiracy to hinder prosecution.As a result of her involvement in the aftermath of the assault, theUnited States Figure Skating Associationbanned her for life on June 30, 1994; she was stripped of her 1994 title.

From 2003 to 2004, Harding competed as aprofessional boxer.Her life has been the subject of many books, films, documentaries, and academic studies. In 2014, twotelevision documentarieswere made about Harding's life and skating career (Nancy & TonyaandThe Price of Gold), inspiringSteven Rogersto write the filmI, Tonyain 2017, for which Australian starMargot Robbieportrayed Harding (and also produced the film). In 2018, she was a contestant onseason 26ofDancing with the Stars,finishing in third place. In 2019, she wonseason 16ofWorst Cooks in America: Celebrity Edition.

Early life

Ice Chalet at Portland'sLloyd Center,where Harding began skating at age four

Tonya Maxene Harding was born November 12, 1970, in Portland, Oregon, to LaVona Golden (b. 1940) and Albert Harding (1933–2009).During Harding's youth, her father held various odd jobs (managed apartments, drove a truck, and worked at a bait & tackle store), yet was oftenunderemployeddue to poor health.She was raised inEast Portlandand began skating at age three, training with coach Diane Rawlinson. Harding also hunted, drag raced, and learned auto mechanics from her father. LaVona struggled to support the family while working as a waitress and hand-sewed her daughter's skating costumes to save money.Harding's parents divorced after 19 years of marriage in 1987, when she was 16.She dropped out ofMilwaukie High Schoolduring her sophomore year to focus on skating; she earned aGeneral Educational Development(GED) Certificate in 1988.

Harding claimed she was frequently abused by her mother. She stated that by the time she was seven years old, physical and psychological abuse had become a regular part of her life. LaVona admitted to one instance of hitting Harding at an ice rink.In January 2018, Harding's childhood friend and filmmaker, Sandra Luckow, spoke in defense of Harding's mother because she felt that the 2017 filmI, Tonyastretched some truths about LaVona's character. Luckow said that although Harding's mother could be "egregious" towards her daughter, LaVona funded and appreciated Harding's skating lessons and had "a huge amount of humanity".

In Harding's 2008 authorized biography,The Tonya Tapes(written by Lynda D. Prouse from recorded interviews with Harding), she said she was the victim ofacquaintance rapein 1991and that her half-brother, Chris Davison,molestedher on several occasions when she was a child. In 1986, Harding called the police after Davison had beensexually harassingand terrorizing her. He was arrested and spent a short time in prison. Harding said her parents were in denial about Davison's behavior and told her not to press criminal charges against him. Davison was killed in an unsolved vehicular hit-and-run accident in 1988.On May 3, 1994, during an interview withRolonda Watts,Harding said that Davison was the only person in her life unworthy of forgiveness and "the only person I've ever hated."

Skating career

Harding trained as a figure skater throughout her youth with coach Diane Rawlinson. In the mid-1980s, she began working her way up the competitive skating ladder. She placed sixth at the 1986 U.S. Figure Skating Championships, fifth in 1987 and 1988, and third in 1989. After competing in the February1989 Nationals Championship,Harding began training with Dody Teachman.She then won the October1989 Skate Americacompetition, and was considered a strong contender at the February1990 U.S. Figure Skating Championships.However, she was experiencing thefluandasthmaand had a poorfree skate.After the original program, she dropped from second place and finished seventh. Harding's breakthrough year came in 1991 when, at theU.S. Championships,she completed her firsttriple Axelin competition on February 16 – the first American woman to do so.She landed seven triple jumps in the long program including the Axel.She won the 1991 U.S. Ladies' Singles title with the event's first 6.0 technical merit score sinceJanet Lynn's 1973 performance at the U.S. Championships.She won the long program when seven of the nine judges gave her first place.She scored eight 5.9s and one 6.0 for technical merit and six 5.9s, one 5.8, and two 5.7s for composition and style.At the March 1991 World Championships, she again completed the triple Axel. Harding would finish second behindKristi Yamaguchiand in front of Nancy Kerrigan, marking the first time one country swept the ladies' medal podium at theWorld Figure Skating Championships.

At the September1991 Skate Americacompetition, Harding recorded three more firsts:

• The first ever woman to complete a triple Axel in the short program
• The first woman ever to successfully execute two triple Axels in a single competition
• The first ever to complete a triple Axel in combination (with the doubletoe loop)

Despite these record-breaking performances, after 1991, Harding was never again able to successfully complete the triple Axel in competition; her competitive results began to decline. She and Dody Teachman had briefly parted ways in April 1991, but had reunited in June;Harding was still training under Teachman for the upcoming 1992 season.She placed third in the January1992 U.S. Figure Skating Championshipsdespite twisting her ankle during practice, and finished fourth in the February1992 Winter Olympics.On March 1, 1992, Harding gave Teachman a summary dismissal and returned to Diane Rawlinson to be coached by her.On March 29, Harding placed sixth in the1992 World Championships,although she had a better placement at the November1992 Skate Canada Internationalevent finishing fourth.

In January 1994, Harding won the U.S. Championships, but was later stripped of her title: theUSFSAdisciplinary panel voted to vacate the title in June 1994, following an investigation of the attack on Nancy Kerrigan. In February 1994, Harding was permitted to remain a member of the U.S. Olympic ice skating team, despite brief legal controversy.At the1994 Winter OlympicsinLillehammer,after an issue with a broken skate lace in the long program, she was given a re-skate by the judges and finished in eighth place, behindOksana Baiul(gold) and Nancy Kerrigan (silver).Despite her USFSA ban, however, she did later compete at the professional level, placing second at the ESPN Pro Skating Championship in 1999.

Competitive highlights

International
Event	1985–86	1986–87	1987–88	1988–89	1989–90	1990–91	1991–92	1992–93	1993–94
Winter Olympics							4th		8th
World Championships						2nd	6th		WD
Skate America		2nd			1st		1st		3rd
Skate Canada International								4th
Nations Cup					1st
NHK Trophy			3rd			2nd			4th
Prize of Moscow News				1st
National
U.S. Championships	6th	5th	5th	3rd	7th	1st	3rd	4th	1st
U.S. Olympic Festival	5th	3rd				2nd

Assault of Nancy Kerrigan and legal proceedings

Main article:Assault of Nancy Kerrigan

Nancy Kerrigan

On January 6, 1994(1994-01-06),one day before theU.S. Figure Skating Championshipfirst Ladies' Singles competition,Nancy Kerriganwas attacked in a corridor after a practice session at the DetroitCobo Arena.The aftermath of the attack was recorded on a news camera and broadcast around the world. The assailant was Shane Stant, contracted to break her right knee; he turned himself in to theFBIin Phoenix on January 14.Stant and his uncle, Derrick Smith, were hired for this assault by Harding's ex-husband, Jeff Gillooly, and her bodyguard Shawn Eckardt.After failing to find Kerrigan in Massachusetts, Stant had taken a 20-hour bus trip to Detroit.Nancy Kerrigan was walking behind a curtain when Stant rushed behind her. Using both hands, he swung a 21-inch (53 cm)ASPtelescopic batonat her right leg, striking above her knee. The attack was intended to seriously injure Kerrigan so that she could not compete in the Nationals (Kerrigan was the defending1993 Champion) nor the Winter Olympics. Kerrigan's leg was not broken but severely bruised, forcing her to withdraw from the Championships and forgo competing to retain the U.S. Ladies' title.On January 8, Harding won the U.S. title; she and Kerrigan were then both selected for the1994 Olympic team.

KOIN-TV interview, Eckardt and Smith arrests, USFSA comments

On January 11, Harding was interviewed forKOIN-TVinPortland, Oregon.Harding was asked whether someone she knew could have planned the attack. Harding replied, "I have definitely thought about it." Gillooly stood in her view behind the camera during the interview. The interview ended with Harding saying, "No one controls my life but me...if there's something in there that I don't like, I'm going to change it."Harding also confirmed she had spoken withFBIagents in Detroit and again in Portland.On January 13, Eckardt and Smith were arrested.On January 14, theUnited States Figure Skating Association(USFSA) made a statement on whether Eckardt's arrest affected Harding's Olympic placement: "We will deal only with the facts."Harding's and Gillooly's separate lawyers confirmed the couple were in daily contact and cooperation with law enforcement.On January 15, Harding and Gillooly spoke with reporters, but declined to comment about the investigation.On January 16, Harding's lawyer held apress conferencein which he read a statement denying Harding's involvement in the attack on Kerrigan.Harding left her home that evening to practice with her coaches, where she spoke with reporters and performed atriple Axel.

Harding's confession

Harding's practice sessions atClackamas Town Center,in preparation for the 1994 Winter Olympics, were attended by thousands of spectators and dozens of reporters and film crews.

On January 18, 1994, Harding was with her lawyers when she submitted to questioning by theDAand FBI.She was interviewed for over ten hours. Eight hours into the interview, her lawyer read a statement declaring her separation from Gillooly: "I continue to believe that Jeff is innocent of any wrongdoing. I wish him nothing but the best."Her full FBI transcript was released on February 1.The Seattle Timesreported on the transcript, stating that Harding had "changed her story well into a long interview...After hours of denying any involvement in trying to cover up the plot, an FBI agent finally told [her] that he knew she had lied to him, that he would tell her exactly how she had lied to him."In the transcript's final passage, Harding stated "I hope everyone understands. I'm telling on someone I really care about. I know now [Jeff] is involved. I'm sorry."On January 19, Gillooly surrendered to the FBI.On January 20,Diane Sawyerasked Harding onPrimetimeabout the case. Harding said she had done nothing wrong.On January 27, it was reported Gillooly had been testifying about the attack plot since January 26; possibly implicating Harding as allegedly assisting. Harding's close friend Stephanie Quintero, with whom she was living, spoke to reporters on her behalf: "[Tonya] was shocked, very hurt. She was believing in [Jeff]."Harding later held a press conference to read a prepared statement. She said she was sorry Kerrigan was attacked, that she respected Kerrigan, and claimed not to have known in advance of the plot to disable her. Harding took responsibility "for failing to report things [about the assault] when I returned home from Nationals [on January 10]. Failure to immediately report this information is not a crime."Many states' laws, including Oregon's, state that the act of concealing criminal knowledge alone is not a crime.

The attack on Kerrigan received a substantial amount of publicity, and news media crews camped outside Kerrigan's home.In January 1994, the story was on the covers ofSports Illustrated,Newsweek,andTIME.There was now much speculation about Harding's alleged involvement in the assault plot.Because Harding and Kerrigan would be representing the US in the FebruaryLillehammerOlympics,speculation reached a media frenzy.Abby Haight and J.E. Vader, reporters forThe Oregonian,wrote a biography of Harding calledFire on Ice,which included excerpts of her January 18 FBI interview.

Guilty pleas and sentencing of Gillooly, Eckardt, Stant, and Smith

On February 1, Gillooly's attorney negotiated aplea bargainin exchange for testimony regarding all involved parties in the attack. In July, he was sentenced to two years in prison and publicly apologized to Kerrigan – adding "any apology coming from me rings hollow."Gillooly and Eckardt pled guilty toracketeering;Stant and Smith (who drove the getaway car and funneled money) pled guilty to conspiracy to commit second-degree assault.Judge Donald Londer noted the attack could have injured Kerrigan more seriously.Eckardt died in 2007.

USFSA disciplinary panel

On February 5, the USFSA disciplinary panel stated there were reasonable grounds to believe Harding had violated the sport's code of ethics.Her admitted failure to report about an assault on a fellow competitor, supported by her FBI transcripts, led to Harding being formally charged with "[making] false statements about her knowledge." The USFSA recommended that she face a disciplinary hearing.Claire Ferguson,president of the USFSA, decided not to suspend Harding's membership before a hearing took place. If she had been suspended, she likely still would have competed at the Olympics after filing suit, seeking aninjunctionagainst the USFSA, and asserting her rights under theAmateur Sports Act of 1978.The panel examined evidence including the testimonies of Stant and Smith, Harding's and Gillooly's telephone records, and notes found in a Portland saloon trash bin on January 30.Harding was given 30 days to respond.

Harding and Connie Chung travel to Norway

News media began attending Harding's Portland practices; also filming her on February 7, running barefoot to stop a tow truck from hauling her illegally parked vehicle.On February 10,Connie Chunginterviewed Harding. When asked about Gillooly, Harding said: "I never did anything to hurt [Jeff]. If I ever did anything, it was to stick up for him and protect him."Chung also negotiated to fly on the same airplane with Harding toOslo,leaving on February 15. Chung admitted she would not have travelled to Norway were it not for the scandal.

Kerrigan and Harding share ice; Harding finishes eighth

See also:Figure skating at the 1994 Winter Olympics – Ladies' singles

Figure skating competitions for the 1994 Winter Olympics were held in the Hamar Olympic Amphitheatre, now known as theCC Amfi.

On February 17, 1994, Harding and Kerrigan shared the ice at a practice session in theHamar Olympic Amphitheatre.Approximately 400 members of the press were there to document the practice.Scott Hamiltonthought the sport was depicted as a "tabloid event".It was noted that Nancy Kerrigan chose to wear the same skating costume at the practice session that she was wearing when Stant attacked her.Kerrigan later confirmed that her choice of dress that day was deliberate: "Humor is good, it's empowering."The tape-delayed broadcast of the February 23 Ladies' Olympic technical program is one of the most watched telecasts in the US.On February 25, Harding finished eighth in the Olympics; a bootlace broke early in her free skate routine, and amid jeers from the crowd she was allowed to restart.Nancy Kerrigan, having recovered from her injury, won silver behindOksana BaiulfromUkraine.

Guilty plea, admissions

On March 9, JudgeOwen Pannergranted Harding a requested stay until June on her disciplinary hearing.Meanwhile, Portland authorities stated the criminal investigation would conclude by March 21 with anyindictmentsand agrand juryreport to be made at that time.

On March 16, 1994, Harding pled guilty toconspiracy to hinder prosecutionas aClass C felony offenseat aMultnomah Countycourt hearing. She and her lawyer, Robert Weaver, negotiated aplea bargainensuring no further prosecution.Judge Donald Londer conducted routine questioning to make certain Harding understood her agreement, that she was entering her plea "knowingly and voluntarily". Harding told Londer she was. Her plea admissions were knowing of the assault plot after the fact, settling on a cover story with Gillooly and Eckardt on January 10, witnessing pay phone calls to Smith affirming the story on January 10 and 11, and lying to FBI with the story on January 18.Law enforcement investigators had been following and videotaping the co-conspirators since January 10; they knew about the pay phone calls.Her penalties included three years ofprobation,a $100,000 fine, and 500 hours community service. She agreed to reimburse Multnomah County $10,000 in legal expenses, undergo a psychiatric examination, and volunteered to give $50,000 to theSpecial OlympicsOregon (SOOR) charity.Oregon sentencing guidelines carried a maximum penalty of five years in prison.

Harding's plea conditions imposed her U.S. Figure Skating Association resignation, necessitating her withdrawal from the1994 Worlds(for which she was scheduled to leave on March 17).District attorney Norman Frink said if Harding had not agreed to the plea, she would have faced "an indictment on all possible charges...punishment was taking away [skating] privilege."

Response from defense and USFSA

Phil Knight,CEO ofNike,donated $25,000 toward Harding's legal fees.She had also made approximately $600,000 from anInside Editiondeal.

Weaver said the plea agreement was satisfactory to Harding, partly because she avoided prison: "We would have prevailed at trial."An executive of the USFSA commented "[We] don't know if Tonya is innocent or guilty...if [she was involved before] the national championship."On March 18, Claire Ferguson decided Harding's disciplinary hearing would proceed in June. The USFSA's executive committee met to discuss Harding seeking reinstatement and whether they might strip her of the 1994 National Championship title. Neither issue was decided at that time.

Grand jury indictment

Harding arriving atPortland International Airportamid a crush of reporters after the 1994 Olympics.

On March 21, 1994, a Portland grand jury issued an indictment stating there was evidence Harding participated in the attack plot. The indictment concluded more than two months of investigation and witness testimonies from Diane Rawlinson; Harding's choreographer Erika Bakacs; freelance figure skating writer Vera Marano; and Eckardt's college instructor and classmates.It stated there was evidence Harding fraudulently used USFSA-provided skating monies to finance the assault. It also read that Harding, Gillooly, Eckardt, Smith, and Stant agreed to "knowingly cause physical injury... by means of a dangerous weapon." The grand jury said the evidence implied Harding was "involved from the beginning or very close." She was not charged in the indictment due to the terms of her March 16 plea agreement.

USFSA disciplinary panel meeting in June

On June 29, the USFSA disciplinary panel met for nine hours over two days to consider Harding's alleged role in the attack.On June 30, chairman William Hybl stated,

"By apreponderance of the evidence,the panel did conclude that she had prior knowledge and was involved prior to the incident. This is based oncivil standards,notcriminal standards... bank records, phone records – the way they came together to establish a case. "

The panel decided that pertinent FBI reports, court documents, and Harding's March 16 plea agreement presented

"a clear disregard for fairness, good sportsmanship, and ethical behaviour."

Harding did not attend or participate in the two-day hearing. Weaver said the decision disappointed her but was not a surprise, and that she had not decided on an appeal.Harding was stripped of her 1994 U.S. Championship title and banned for life from participating in USFSA events as either a skater or coach. The USFSA has no authority over professional skating events, but Harding waspersona non grataon the pro circuit. Few skaters and promoters would work with her, and she did not benefit from the ensuing boom in professional skating after the scandal.

Later interviews

Shortly before the1998 Winter Olympics,theCBSandFoxnews divisions re-examined the scandal for two televised special reports.Harry Smithhosted the CBS special. He reported that Harding still held to her statement from her press conference given on January 27, 1994: "I had no prior knowledge of the planned assault on Nancy Kerrigan." Smith then interviewed Kerrigan, asking how she responded to that statement. Kerrigan referred to transcripts she had read from Harding's FBI interview on January 18, 1994. After reading through the interrogation of that day, she concluded that "[Tonya] knew more than she admits."The Fox special report was calledBreaking the Ice: The Women of '94 Revisited,hosted byJames Brownwith interviews of Harding, Gillooly, and Kerrigan.Gillooly (granted a name change to Jeff Stone in 1995) said that Harding's avoiding prison did not anger him, and that he felt his own punishment was just. Stone reflected on Harding's position of "limited involvement" in Kerrigan's attack and speculated that a "guilty conscience" still troubled her. Brown then mediated a joint interview with both Kerrigan and Harding present. The two former competitors shared sincere desires for happy families and general well-wishes. Kerrigan said that she hoped Harding could learn from past mistakes and "find happiness".Harding said she was grateful to personally express remorse to Kerrigan again.

In Harding's 2008 biography,The Tonya Tapes(transcribed by Lynda D. Prouse from recorded interviews), she stated that she wanted to call the FBI in 1994 to reveal what she knew, but decided not to when Gillooly allegedly threatened her with death following a gunpointgang rapeby him and two other men she did not know. Gillooly responded with surprise that "groundless claims" against him could be published and specifically contended her gang rape accusation to be "utterly ridiculous".In 2013,Deadspinsought Gillooly for an interview and he again defended himself against the gunpoint gang rape allegation. He expressed regret that Harding is often "remembered for what I talked her into doing," meaning allegedly plotting to injure Kerrigan.Gillooly admitted that his past "stupidity" was part of Harding's 1994 ruin and maintained that he still considered her a great figure skater. He also said "I've had it easy, compared to poor Tonya...she tends to be the butt of the joke. It's kind of sad to me."

In 2014, Nancy Kerrigan addressed the scandal during a brief interview with sportscasterBob Costas:"Whatever apology Tonya has given, I accept it. It's time for all us – I've always wished [Tonya] well – she has her own family, I have my family. It's time to make that our focus and move on with our lives."

Later career

Harding in 2006

On February 15, 1994, an explicit 1991videotape clipof Harding topless was shown onA Current Affair;threestill framesfrom this clip were also published inThe Sun(a British tabloid newspaper).TheNew York Postreported that Gillooly had supplied the videotaped fragment for an undisclosed sum of money.

On July 26, 1994,Penthouseannounced that its September issue would feature different stills of Harding and Gillooly having sex from the same extended videotape.This 35-minutesex tapewould also be copied and marketed exclusively byPenthouse.Both Gillooly and Harding used the same agent to negotiate equal payment on thePenthousesale.

On June 22, 1994, inPortland, Oregon,Harding appeared on anAAAprofessional wrestling show as the manager for wrestling stableLos Gringos Locos.The night's performance includedArt BarrandEddie Guerrero.A promotional musical event was unsuccessful when Harding and her band, the Golden Blades, were booed off the stage at their only performance, in 1995 in Portland.

In 1994, Harding was cast inBreakaway,an action film, alongside Teri Fruichantie andJoseph "Joe" Estévez.The plot centered on Harding being unwittingly involved in an organized crime syndicate's attempt to violently recover $300,000 of stolen money. The film was released in 1996.

Harding has also appeared on television, on the game showThe Weakest Link:"15 Minutes of Fame Edition" in 2002 along withKato Kaelin, and in March 2008 became a commentator forTruTV'struTV Presents: World's Dumbest....

Since leaving skating and bo xing, Harding has worked as a welder, a painter at a metal fabrication company, and a hardware sales clerk atSears.In 2017, she stated that she worked as a painter and deck builder.She lives inVancouver, Washington.

In August 2019, Harding was seen in a television commercial in the United States promoting Direct Auto Insurance.

Bo xing career

Tonya Harding
Other names	Bad Girl
Statistics
Weight(s)	Featherweight Lightweight
Height	5 ft 1 in (155 cm)
Stance	Orthodox
Bo xing record
Total fights	6
Wins	3
Wins by KO	0
Losses	3

In 2002, Harding boxed againstPaula Joneson theFox NetworkCelebrity Bo xingevent, winning the fight. On February 22, 2003, she made her officialwomen's professional bo xingdebut, losing a four-roundsplit decisionagainst Samantha Browning on the undercard ofMike Tyson vs. Clifford Etienne.Harding's bo xing career came about amid rumors that she was having financial difficulties and needed to fight in the ring to earn money.She did another celebrity bo xing match, onThe Man Show,and won against co-hostDoug Stanhope.Stanhope later claimed on his podcast that the fight was fixed because Harding refused to "fight a man".

On March 23, 2004, it was reported that she cancelled a planned bo xing match against Tracy Carlton inOakland, California,because of an alleged death threat against her.

On June 24, 2004, she was defeated by Amy Johnson in a match held inEdmonton,Alberta.Fans reportedly booed Harding as she entered the ring and cheered wildly for Johnson when she won in the third round.

Her bo xing career was cut short by her asthma.Her overall record was three wins and three losses.

Professional bo xing record

6 fights	3 wins	3 losses
By knockout	0	2
By decision	3	1

No.	Result	Record	Opponent	Type	Round, time	Date	Location
6	Loss	3–3	Amy Johnson	TKO	3 (4),1:04	June 25, 2004	Shaw Conference Centre,Edmonton, Alberta,Canada
5	Loss	3–2	Melissa Yanas	TKO	1 (4),1:13	August 2, 2003	Silver City Cabaret,Dallas, Texas,U.S.
4	Win	3–1	Emily Gosa	UD	4	June 13, 2003	Chinook Winds Casino,Lincoln City, Oregon,U.S.
3	Win	2–1	Alejandra Lopez	UD	4	March 28, 2003	Creek Nation Gaming Center,Tulsa, Oklahoma,U.S.
2	Win	1–1	Shannon Birmingham	UD	4	March 15, 2003	Grand Casino,Gulfport, Mississippi,U.S.
1	Loss	0–1	Samantha Browning	SD	4	February 22, 2003	The Pyramid,Memphis, Tennessee,U.S.

Other appearances

Automobile racing land speed record

On August 12, 2009, Harding set a new land speed record for a vintage gas coupe with a speed of 97.177 mph (156.391 km/h; 43.442 m/s) driving a 1931Ford Model A,namedLickity-Split,on theBonneville Salt Flats.

Dancing with the Stars

On April 13, 2018, Harding was announced as one of the celebrities who would compete onseason 26ofDancing with the Stars.Her professional partner wasSasha Farber.Harding and Farber ended up finishing in third place.

Tonya Harding -Dancing with the Stars(season 26)

Week	Dance	Music	Judges' scores			Total score	Result
1	Foxtrot	"When You Believe"—Whitney Houston&Mariah Carey	8	8	7	23	Safe
2	Quickstep	"Redneck Woman"—Gretchen Wilson	8	8	8	33	Safe
	Freestyle (Team 1950s Tennis)	"...Baby One More Time"—The Baseballs	8	8	8	33
3	Rumba	"See You Again"—Tyler Ward	8	8	8	33	Safe
	Cha-cha-cha (Dance-off)	"Dance"—DNCE	Winner			2
4	Viennese waltz	"The Time of My Life"—David Cook	8	9	9	26	Third place
	Freestyle	"I Will Survive" —The Pussycat Dolls	10	10	10	30

Worst Cooks in America

In August 2018, Harding was announced as one of the celebrities who would compete in the fifth celebrity edition of Food Network'sWorst Cooks in America,set to broadcast in April 2019. Harding, learning under ChefAnne Burrell,ultimately won the competition. The US$25,000 prize went to her chosen charity ofSt. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

Personal life

Harding is the only child of Albert Gordon Harding and LaVona Golden, who had been married three times before and had four other children. The two divorced in 1987. Harding had a tumultuous relationship with her mother, alleging both physical and emotional abuse. She cites one occasion where her mother threw a knife at her, leaving a permanent scar on her arm.

Harding began a relationship with 17-year-old Jeff Gillooly in September 1986 when she was 15. They moved into a home together in 1988 when he worked in distribution at theOregon Liquor Control Commission.They married on March 18, 1990, when she was 19 and he was 22. In January 1992, Harding told Terry Richard ofThe Oregonian,"Jeff always put food on the table and a roof over my head. He paid for my skating for a couple of years. If it hadn't been for him during that time, I wouldn't have been skating."They divorced on August 28, 1993.During the autumn of 1993, Gillooly was working part-time managing Harding's career and taking real estate classes.Harding and Gillooly had been continuing to see each other since early October 1993 and were sharing a rented chaletinBeavercreek, Oregonuntil January 18, 1994.

Harding married Michael Smith in 1995; they divorced in 1996.On October 29, 1996, Harding received media attention after usingmouth-to-mouth resuscitationto help revive an 81-year-old woman who collapsed at a bar in Portland while playing video poker.

On February 22, 2000, Harding attacked her then-boyfriend Darren Silver, repeatedly punching him in the face and throwing a hubcap at his head. The attack left Silver with a bloodied face and Harding was arrested. She initially pled not guilty to misdemeanor charges, but in a May trial in Clark County District Court admitted to attacking Silver and was sentenced to three days in jail, 10 days of community service, and a suspended jail sentence of 167 days.

She married 42-year-old Joseph Price on June 23, 2010, when she was 39 years old. She gave birth to a son named Gordon on February 19, 2011.

Harding stated onThe Ellen DeGeneres Showon February 26, 2018, that she is still active in skating and practices three times a week. She performed several jumps and spins on the show. She trains with her former coach Dody Teachman.

Cultural effects

Harding's life, career, and role in the 1994 attack have been widely referenced in popular culture, including a 2007primary campaignspeech by then-Democratic Presidential nomineeBarack Obamain which he said, "Folks said there's no way Obama has a chance unless he goes and kneecaps the person ahead of us, does a Tonya Harding."In 2014, Matt Harkins and Viviana Olen created the Nancy Kerrigan and Tonya Harding Museum in theirBrooklynapartment, collecting and archiving memorabilia related to Nancy Kerrigan and Harding.A contemporaneousVoguearticle noted that Harding had developed a "cult following"through the years.

Representation in other media

• Sharp Edges(1986), Sandra Luckow's senior-thesis project for herfilm studiesmajor. Luckow was Harding's childhood friend, and the documentary followed Harding and her coaches toUniondale, New Yorkas she competed in the February1986 U.S. Figure Skating Championships.The film featured interviews with Harding, her mother, and coaches.
• Spunk: The Tonya Harding Story(1994),Comedy Centralfive-minuteshort filmparodysummarizing the scandal, estimated to have aired on February 25, 1994.Tina Yothersportrayed Harding.
• Tonya & Nancy: The Inside Story(1994),NBC TV film based onpublic domainmaterial, premiered on April 30, 1994; written by previousEdgar Awardwinner Phil Penningroth.Alexandra Powersportrayed Harding andHeather Langenkampportrayed Nancy Kerrigan. It featuredfourth wall-breaking by havingDennis Boutsikarisplay the film's screenwriter: "We imprisoned [Tonya and Nancy] in images we use to sell newspapers, soup, and TV movies. They're victims of those that the media serve."
• National Lampoon's Attack of the 5'2 "Women(1994),aShowtimeTV film, released on August 21, 1994; directed by theU.S. Writers Guild Award-winning comedianJulie Brown.Brown spoofed Harding by portraying her in "Tonya: The Battle of Wounded Knee," which Brown also wrote. Her original song, "Queen of the Ice," was nominated for aCableACE Award.
• In Living Color(1994sketches), Carol Rosenthal portrayed Harding in "Tonya Harding for The Club"; aired on February 3.
• "The Understudy":1995Seinfeldepisode, alluded to Harding withJerry Seinfeld's Broadway performer girlfriend. She has a problem with her boot laces (as Harding encountered in the Olympics). Jerry's girlfriend performed because the lead actress had an injury supposedly caused by hitman,George Costanza;originally aired on May 18, 1995.
• Harding and her role in the 1994 scandal were referenced in several songs, including "Headline News"by"Weird Al" Yankovic;"Queen of the Ice" byJulie Brown;"Breakin' Knees Is Hard to Do" byCapitol Steps;"5 Fingas of Death" byDiamond D;"Tonya's Twirls" byLoudon Wainwright III;"Aunt Dot" byLil' Kim;"Strange Clouds"byB.o.B;"Put Some Keys On That" byLil Wayne;"Tonya Harding"bySufjan Stevens;"Stay Frosty Royal Milk Tea" byFall Out Boy;"Tonya" byBrockhampton;and "If Self-Destruction was an Olympic Event, I'd be Tonya Harding" bySuicideboys
• Tonya & Nancy: The Rock Opera(2006), playwrightElizabeth Searlecollaborated with composer Abigail Al-Doory in May 2006 to create a chamber opera, directed by Meron Langsner. The dark comedy premiered inPortland, Oregonin 2008. It was also produced in Los Angeles, New York and Chicago. Searle said that she thought elements of the 1994 scandal reflected "life in America," and that she hoped the show would convey public sympathy towards Kerrigan, Gillooly, and Harding.
• The Price of Gold(2014) documentary directed byNanette Burstein,part ofESPN's30 for 30series, aired on January 16, 2014. It explored some specifics of the 1994 criminal investigation. Kerrigan could not be interviewed for the film because of her contractual obligation to NBC'sNancy & Tonya(2014) documentary. Burstein said her film was "predominantly about Tonya".Burstein later said she thought Harding was jealous of Kerriganand that "[Tonya] was an unreliable interview subject. A lot of things she said had to be left out because I didn't think they were truthful."
• Nancy & Tonya(2014),NBCdocumentary narrated by Olympics correspondentMary Carillo(formertennisprofessional –1977 French OpenGrand SlamMixed Doubles winner), aired on February 23, 2014. It included interviews, brief biographies of Nancy Kerrigan & Tonya Harding, and close observations of their lives and careers before 1994.
• I, Tonya,2017 biographicalblack comedyfilm directed byCraig GillespiewithMargot Robbieplaying Harding, receiving mostly positive reviews.ScreenwriterSteven Rogerssaid he neither knew nor cared about Harding's alleged part in Nancy Kerrigan's attack, that the film was really about "things we tell ourselves...how we change thenarrative,and then want that to be the narrative. "Gillespie was nominated for aBest Director AACTA;he said he believed Harding was guilty, but debated to what degree. Gillespie also said he wanted the film to convey "why [Tonya] is the way she is."Allison Janneyplayed Harding's mother, LaVona, and won theAcademy Award for Best Supporting Actress.Regarding Harding's alleged role in Kerrigan's attack, Janney said "I know [Tonya was] complicit, but...I have a lot more empathy for her than I did."Janney also said, "I think LaVona was actually a very smart woman...knowing her daughter needed to be told she couldn't do it in order to do it was LaVona's way of saying, 'I was there to inspire her.'"
• Tonya Harding,2017 song by musicianSufjan Stevens.The song was submitted by Stevens for the soundtrack of I, Tonya, but it was not used.However, the song was not made specifically for the biopic, and Stevens said he had planned to write a song about Harding since 1991.

Academic assessment

In 1995, the bookWomen on Ice: Feminist Essays on the Tonya Harding/Nancy Kerrigan Spectaclewas published, containing numerous essays analyzing Harding's public image.For example, Abigail Feder wrote that there existed "overdeterminedfemininityin Ladies' Figure Skating...femininity andathleticismare mutually exclusive concepts inAmerican culture."Sam Stoloff wrote that, during the scandal, the media placed more emphasis on Harding'sclassthan her gender. He noted how she was subjected to a "litany of vaguelypejorativeor mocking expressions "associated with" low class "cultural attributes, sometimes due to Harding's personal interests and hobbies. Stoloff theorized that Harding represented an American social class that required interpretation (" the classOther") as he referenced theanthropologicaltone ofSusan Orlean's 1994 essay "Figures in a Mall", written forThe New Yorker.

In writerSarah Marshall's 2014 essay entitled "Remote Control: Tonya Harding, Nancy Kerrigan, and the Spectacles of Female Power and Pain", she noted the pervasive role of the media in the 1994 scandal: "Somehow, in the scandal's aftermath, the form of the Tonya-bash was able to alchemize even the most chilling details of Tonya's life into tabloid gold." Marshall also examined the role of Harding's "tomboy"persona in the context of figure skating. She theorized that Harding was rejected by the figure skatingethosbecause she did not conform – as Marshall believed many figure skaters, including Nancy Kerrigan, did – to appearing as "beautiful without being sexual, strong without being intimidating, and vulnerable without being weak."

Works cited

• Baughman, Cynthia, ed. (2013) [1995].Women on Ice: Feminist Essays on the Tonya Harding/Nancy Kerrigan Spectacle.Routledge.ISBN978-0-415-91150-4.OCLC830322475.RetrievedApril 5,2018.
• Birrell, Susan; McDonald, Mary G., eds. (2000).Reading Sport: Critical Essays on Power and Representation.Northeastern University Press.ISBN9781555534295.OCLC43036842.
• Bromley, Tom (2006).We Could Have Been the Wombles: The Weird and Wonderful World of One-Hit Wonders.Penguin Books. p. 90.ISBN9780141017112.
• Brownstone, David M.; Franck, Irene (1995).People in the News, 1995.Macmillan Reference USA.ISBN0-02-897058-6.
• Coffey, Frank; Layden, Joe (1994).Thin Ice: The Complete, Uncensored Story of Tonya Harding.Kensington Publishing Corp.ISBN9780786044979.
• Guerrero, Eddie (2005).Cheating Death, Stealing Life: The Eddie Guerrero Story.Simon & Schuster.ISBN0-7434-9353-2.
• Haight, Abby; Vader, J.E. (1994).Fire on Ice: The Exclusive Inside Story of Tonya Harding.Three Rivers Press.ISBN9780812924572.
• Hamilton, Scott;Benet, Lorenzo (1999).Landing It: My Life on and off the Ice.Kensington Books.ISBN1-57566-466-6.
• Nelson, Murry R.(2013).American Sports: A History of Icons, Idols, and Ideas.ABC-CLIO.ISBN978-0-313-39753-0.
• Prouse; Harding (2008). Torke, Kyle; Strozier, M. Stefan (eds.).The Tonya Tapes: The Tonya Harding Story in her Own Voice.World Audience.ISBN9781934209806.
• Saari, Peggy (1998).Great Misadventures: Bad Ideas That Led to Big Disasters.Thomson Gale.ISBN0-7876-2799-2.
• Smith, Lissa, ed. (1999).Nike is a Goddess: The History of Women in Sports.Atlantic Monthly Press.ISBN978-0-87113-761-6.OCLC255351946.RetrievedApril 5,2018.
• Sullivan, Randall(July 14, 1994)."The Tonya Harding Fall".Rolling Stone.No. 686/687. p. 80.ISSN0035-791X.
• Williams, Patricia J.(2010). "The Ethnic Scarring of American Whiteness". In Lubiano, Wahneema (ed.).The House That Race Built: Original Essays by Toni Morrison, Angela Y. Davis, Cornel West, and Others on Black Americans and Politics in America Today.Alfred A. Knopf. pp. 253–63.ISBN978-0-307-55679-0.

External links

• Interview with Harvey Schiller,former Exec. Dir. U.S. Olympic Committee (discussion about Harding)
• FBI's notes from Shane Stant interview, dated 1/18/94Stant was the confessed assailant of Nancy Kerrigan. Stant testified that on January 5, 1994, Derrick Smith told him that Tonya Harding had seen Stant in theDetroit Westin Hotellobby. Smith told Stant that Harding had spoken of seeing Stant to Shawn Eckardt.
• "The Tonya Harding Fall" (July 1994) articlewritten byRandall SullivanforRolling Stone,Issue 686/687 — via Scribd Inc. A subjective, detailed if not factually precise account of Tonya Harding's life & scandal – referencing pertinent FBI testimonies. This may be accessed via any local library account.
• Tonya HardingatIMDb
• Bo xing record for Tonya HardingfromBoxRec(registration required)