Tonya Harding facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Tonya Harding
Harding in 2006
Personal information
Full name	Tonya Maxene Price
Country represented	United States
Born	(1970-11-12) November 12, 1970 (age 54) Portland, Oregon, U.S.
Height	5 ft 1 in
Coach	Diane Rawlinson (1973–1989; 1992–1994) Dody Teachman (1989–1992)
Medal record Representing the USA Ladies' Figure skating World Championships Silver 1991 Munich Ladies' singles U.S. Championships Gold 1991 Minnesota Women's singles Bronze 1989 Maryland Women's singles Bronze 1992 Florida Women's singles

Tonya Maxene Price (born November 12, 1970), known as Tonya Harding, is an American former figure skater, boxer, and reality television star.

Born in Portland, Oregon, Tonya started ice skating lessons at age three. She spent much of her early life training. She even left high school to focus on the sport. Harding became a top skater, winning the 1989 Skate America competition. She was the U.S. champion in 1991 and 1994. She also won a silver medal at the 1991 World Figure Skating Championships. In 1991, she made history as the first American woman to land a triple Axel in an international competition.

In January 1994, Harding was involved in a big controversy. Her ex-husband, Jeff Gillooly, planned an attack on her skating rival, Nancy Kerrigan. On March 16, 1994, Harding agreed to a deal with the court. She admitted to helping cover up the crime. Because of this, the United States Figure Skating Association banned her from skating for life on June 30, 1994. She also lost her 1994 U.S. title.

After skating, Harding competed as a professional boxer from 2003 to 2004. Her life story has been told in many books, films, and documentaries. In 2017, the movie I, Tonya was made about her life. Margot Robbie played Tonya Harding in the film. In 2018, she was a contestant on Dancing with the Stars, finishing in third place. In 2019, she won Worst Cooks in America: Celebrity Edition.

Early Life and Skating Start

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

Tonya Maxene Harding was born on November 12, 1970, in Portland, Oregon. Her parents were LaVona Golden and Albert Harding. Her father worked many different jobs. Her mother worked as a waitress and sewed Tonya's skating costumes to save money.

Tonya started skating at age three with coach Diane Rawlinson. She also enjoyed hunting, drag racing, and learning about cars from her father. Her parents divorced in 1987 when she was 16. Tonya left [David Douglas High School] during her second year to focus on skating. She later earned her GED certificate in 1988.

In 2018, Tonya's childhood friend, Sandra Luckow, spoke about the movie I, Tonya. She felt the film made Tonya's mother seem worse than she was. Luckow said that even though LaVona could be tough, she paid for Tonya's lessons and cared deeply.

Skating Career Highlights

Tonya Harding trained as a figure skater throughout her childhood. In the mid-1980s, she started moving up in competitive skating. She placed sixth at the 1986 U.S. Figure Skating Championships. She then placed fifth in 1987 and 1988, and third in 1989. After the February 1989 U.S. Figure Skating Championships, she began training with Dody Teachman. She won the October 1989 Skate America competition.

Breaking Records in 1991

Harding's most successful year was 1991. At the U.S. Championships, she landed her first triple Axel in a competition on February 16. This made her the first American woman to do so. She landed seven triple jumps in her long program. She won the 1991 U.S. Ladies' Singles title. She received the first perfect 6.0 technical merit score since 1973.

At the March 1991 World Championships, she landed the triple Axel again. Harding finished second behind Kristi Yamaguchi. Nancy Kerrigan finished third. This was the first time one country won all three ladies' medals at the World Figure Skating Championships.

At the September 1991 Skate America competition, Harding set three more records:

• She was the first woman to land a triple Axel in the short program.
• She was the first woman to land two triple Axels in one competition.
• She was the first to land a triple Axel combined with another jump.

Later Skating Years

After 1991, Harding was not able to land the triple Axel in competition again. Her results started to decline. She briefly stopped working with Dody Teachman in April 1991 but reunited in June. She placed third in the January 1992 U.S. Figure Skating Championships. She did this despite twisting her ankle during practice. She finished fourth in the February 1992 Winter Olympics. On March 1, 1992, Harding returned to her first coach, Diane Rawlinson. On March 29, she placed sixth in the 1992 World Figure Skating Championships. In 1993, she skated poorly at the U.S. Championships and did not qualify for the World Championship team.

In January 1994, Harding won the U.S. Championships. However, she was later stripped of her title. The USFSA took away her title in June 1994. This happened after an investigation into the attack on Nancy Kerrigan. In February 1994, Harding was allowed to stay on the U.S. Olympic team. At the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, she had a problem with a broken skate lace. She was allowed to restart her long program and finished in eighth place.

Skating Achievements Table

The Nancy Kerrigan Incident

On January 6, 1994, just before the 1994 United States Figure Skating Championships, Nancy Kerrigan was attacked. This happened in a hallway after a practice session. News cameras recorded the aftermath, and it was shown around the world. The attacker was Shane Stant. He was hired by Harding's ex-husband, Jeff Gillooly, and her bodyguard, Shawn Eckardt. The attack forced Kerrigan to withdraw from the Championships. On January 8, Harding won the U.S. title. Both Harding and Kerrigan were then chosen for the 1994 Olympic team.

Investigation and Confession

The FBI began investigating the attack. On January 13, Eckardt and Smith were arrested. On January 18, 1994, Harding was questioned by the FBI for over ten hours. She initially denied knowing about the plot. Later, she admitted to knowing about the attack after it happened. She also admitted to helping create a cover story with Gillooly and Eckardt. She said she was sorry and that she was telling on someone she cared about.

The attack on Kerrigan received a lot of media attention. News crews were everywhere. Since both Harding and Kerrigan were going to represent the U.S. at the February Lillehammer Olympics, the media frenzy grew.

Legal Consequences

On February 1, 1994, Jeff Gillooly agreed to a deal with the court. He would testify about everyone involved in the attack. He was later sentenced to two years in prison. Gillooly and Eckardt admitted to racketeering. Stant and Smith admitted to planning the assault.

On March 16, 1994, Tonya Harding pleaded guilty to helping hide the crime. This was a serious offense. Her lawyer negotiated a deal to prevent further charges. Harding admitted to knowing about the assault plot after it happened. She also admitted to making up a cover story with Gillooly and Eckardt. She lied to the FBI about it. Her penalties included three years of probation, a $100,000 fine, and 500 hours of community service. She also agreed to pay back $10,000 in legal costs and give $50,000 to the Special Olympics Oregon charity.

As part of her plea, Harding had to resign from the U.S. Figure Skating Association. This meant she had to withdraw from the 1994 World Figure Skating Championships. On June 30, 1994, the USFSA officially banned Harding for life from their events. She was stripped of her 1994 U.S. Championship title.

After the Incident

Years later, in 1998, news channels re-examined the scandal. Harry Smith interviewed Kerrigan, who said she believed Tonya knew more than she admitted. In 2014, Nancy Kerrigan said she accepted any apology Tonya had given. She wished Tonya well and said it was time for them to focus on their families and move on.

Later Career and Appearances

After her skating career ended, Tonya Harding explored other paths.

Boxing Career

In 2002, Harding boxed against Paula Jones in a "Celebrity Boxing" event and won. On February 22, 2003, she made her official professional boxing debut. She lost a four-round fight against Samantha Browning. Her boxing career was rumored to be due to financial difficulties. She won another celebrity boxing match on The Man Show.

Her boxing career was cut short because of her asthma. Her total boxing record was three wins and three losses.

Professional Boxing Record

Other Activities

On August 12, 2009, Harding set a new land speed record. She drove a 1931 Ford Model A at 97.177 mph (156.391 km/h; 43.442 m/s). This happened on the Bonneville Salt Flats.

Harding also appeared on TV shows. She was on The Weakest Link in 2002. In March 2008, she became a commentator for TruTV's truTV Presents: World's Dumbest....

Since leaving skating and boxing, Harding has worked as a welder, a painter, and a hardware sales clerk. As of 2017, she said she worked as a painter and deck builder. She lives in Vancouver, Washington. In August 2019, Harding appeared in a TV commercial for Direct Auto Insurance.

Dancing with the Stars

On April 13, 2018, Harding joined Dancing with the Stars for season 26. Her professional partner was Sasha Farber. They finished in third place in the competition.

Worst Cooks in America

In August 2018, Harding was announced as a celebrity contestant on Worst Cooks in America. This show aired in April 2019. Harding learned from Chef Anne Burrell. She ended up winning the competition. The US$25,000 prize went to her chosen charity, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

Personal Life

Harding is the only child of Albert Gordon Harding and LaVona Golden. Her parents divorced in 1987. Tonya had a difficult relationship with her mother.

Harding started dating Jeff Gillooly in September 1986. She was 15 and he was 17. They married on March 18, 1990, when she was 19. They divorced on August 28, 1993.

Harding married Michael Smith in 1995, but they divorced in 1996. On October 29, 1996, Harding helped an 81-year-old woman who collapsed at a bar. She used mouth-to-mouth resuscitation to help revive her.

She married Joseph Price on June 23, 2010. She was 39 years old. She gave birth to their son, Gordon, on February 19, 2011.

On February 26, 2018, Harding said on The Ellen DeGeneres Show that she still skates. She practices three times a week with her former coach, Dody Teachman.

Tonya Harding in Movies and TV

Harding's life and her role in the 1994 attack have been shown in many popular culture works.

• Sharp Edges (1986): A documentary by Sandra Luckow, Tonya's childhood friend. It followed Harding's early skating career.
• Tonya & Nancy: The Inside Story (1994): An NBC TV movie about the scandal.
• National Lampoon's Attack of the 5'2" Women (1994): A Showtime TV film that included a comedy sketch where Julie Brown played Harding.
• The Understudy (1995): A Seinfeld episode that made a joke about Harding's boot lace issue at the Olympics.
• Many songs have referenced Harding, including "Headline News" by "Weird Al" Yankovic and "Tonya Harding" by Sufjan Stevens.
• Tonya & Nancy: The Rock Opera (2006): A dark comedy opera about the scandal.
• The Price of Gold (2014): An ESPN documentary that looked into the 1994 criminal investigation.
• Nancy & Tonya (2014): An NBC documentary that included interviews and biographies of both skaters.
• I, Tonya (2017): A biographical film starring Margot Robbie as Harding. It received many positive reviews. Allison Janney played Harding's mother and won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.

Harding in 2006

Harding arriving at Portland International Airport after the 1994 Olympics.

Harding's practice sessions at Clackamas Town Center before the 1994 Winter Olympics.

Figure skating competitions for the 1994 Winter Olympics were held in the Hamar Olympic Amphitheatre.

See also

In Spanish: Tonya Harding para niños