Tanya Harding facts for kids
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Women's Softball | ||
Representing  Australia |
||
| Olympic Games | ||
| Bronze | 1996 Atlanta | Team |
| Bronze | 2000 Sydney | Team |
| Silver | 2004 Athens | Team |
| Bronze | 2008 Beijing | Team |
Tanya Victoria Harding (born 23 January 1972 in Brisbane, Queensland) is an Australian softball player. She played for Australia in four Summer Olympics in a row, starting in 1996. She won a bronze medal three times (in 1996, 2000, and 2008). She also earned a silver medal once (in 2004).
Contents
Tanya Harding's Softball Journey
Early Career and Top Pitcher Status
Tanya Harding, who comes from Queensland, was known as one of the top five pitchers in the world for more than ten years. Her skills on the field made her a key player in softball.
College Softball Success
In 1995, Harding attended UCLA for a short time. She was part of the team that won the NCAA women's softball championships. She was even named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of that tournament. After UCLA won the national championship, Harding went back to Australia.
Later, in 1997, UCLA's 1995 championship title was removed. This happened because some rules about scholarships were not followed. Even though the specific players were not named, it was thought that Harding was one of them. The team that came in second, Arizona, was not given the championship title instead. This means that for 1995, there is officially no champion.
Olympic Achievements
Tanya Harding is famous for her success at the Olympic Games. She represented Australia in softball at four different Olympics. She helped her team win bronze medals in 1996, 2000, and 2008. In 2004, her team achieved an even higher honor, winning a silver medal.
Hall of Fame Recognition
In 2022, Tanya Harding was honored for her amazing career. She was inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame. This is a special award that recognizes the best athletes in Australian sports history.
External Links
- Official website: https://web.archive.org/web/20080718165723/http://www.tanyaharding.com.au/
- sports-reference
- NCAA Official History Division 1 Softball Champions: https://www.ncaa.com/history/softball-d1.html
