From Olympic® Skating Star to Scandal

Most people know the basics of the story: Nancy Kerrigan, a violent assault clearly meant to cripple her, a conspiracy, and her greatest rival… Tonya Harding.

Harding has since become a villain in the public imagination. But was she?

An Icy Early Life

Tonya Harding’s childhood was marked by poverty and abuse. Born in Portland, Oregon, in 1970, her family moved frequently and struggled with money. Her father’s ill health caused employment issues, and her mother worked low wage jobs throughout her childhood. Harding described her mother as controlling and physically violent.

Hardings’ parents divorced in 1985 when she was just 16, and she dropped out of high school in her sophomore year to focus on skating, later earning her GED. Throughout the 1980s, Harding worked her way up the American figure skating competitor ladder, winning the gold in the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in 1991.

Additionally, Harding became the first American woman in history to perform the triple axel in competition, but she was never able to replicate it.

Tonya Harding, Olympic practice at Clackamas Town Center 1994 by Andrew Parodi, under CC BY 3.0.

In 1990, she married Jeff Gillooly, a warehouse worker whom she had dated since they were both teenagers. The marriage was not a happy one; Harding reported her husband was abusive throughout their relationship, leading to her filing for divorce twice. They officially split in 1993, although he continued to work as her manager.

As the 1992 Olympics^® approached, Harding was the odds-on favorite to win. But then she saw her crown at risk by a major rival: Nancy Kerrigan.

The Attack

In 1992, Nancy Kerrigan won bronze in the Olympic^® figure skating competition, while Harding placed a respectable but disappointing fourth. Kerrigan was seen as a sweeter, more feminine figure than Harding, whom the media depicted as rough around the edges. Kerrigan began to receive the accolades, sponsorships, and national admiration that Harding never did. Kerrigan went on to win gold at the 1993 U.S. Figure Skating Championships.

As the 1994 Winter Olympics approached, Gillooly hatched a plan with Shane Stant, Harding’s bodyguard, to remove Kerrigan. Using a telescoping baton, Stant attacked Kerrigan after a practice, striking her right leg. A film crew captured the immediate aftermath, and the footage shocked the nation.

Kerrigan’s knee was not broken as intended. But it was bruised enough to keep her out of the 1994 U.S. Figure Skating Championships, in which Harding won gold.

As investigators closed in on Gillooly and Stant, questions swirled around about how much Harding was involved, if at all, and what she actually knew.

The Aftermath

Harding was adamant that she was not involved in planning the attack on Kerrigan. Still, she eventually pleaded guilty to hindering the investigation to protect Gillooly. As a result, Harding was stripped of her 1994 gold medal and barred from competition in the U.S. Figure Skating Association for life. In an interview in 2018, she confessed that she “knew something was up” but didn’t specify the extent of her knowledge.

Harding and Kerrigan competed in the 1994 Winter Olympics; Kerrigan famously won the silver medal while Harding, partly due to lace troubles, placed eighth.

Harding has since bounced around various jobs. She appeared on TV shows such as “Rosanne,” “Larry King Live,” “The Weakest Link,” and “Dancing with the Stars” and even worked briefly as a TV presenter. She also tried her hand at boxing, although her professional career was brief. In 2017, she became the subject of a biographic film titled “I, Tonya” starring Margot Robbie.

Harding currently works as a corporate custodian, is married, and has a son. She posts images and videos of herself ice skating on Instagram. It’s hard to be sure whether Harding deserves much of the vitriol heaped on her by the media, but one thing is sure: her love of the sport is real.

References: Tonya Harding’s World Was Nothing Like Nancy Kerrigan’s. That Mattered in 1994 | Tonya Harding | Tonya Harding’s Skating Scandal | Poisoned Ice | Tonya Harding and Nancy Kerrigan: Where Are They Now? | Where Are Tonya Harding & Nancy Kerrigan Now? | Tonya Harding and Nancy Kerrigan: A Complete Timeline of Kerrigan’s Attack and Aftermath