History UsefulNotes / TonyaHarding

Of course, [[OvershadowedByControversy you probably don't know her for that]].

She began skating when she was only four years old, and spent most of her life training, even dropping out of high school to devote more of her time to the ice. She was active in the mid-to-late 80s and early 90s. She won the 1989 Skate America Competition and placed first at the U.S Championships in 1991 and second at the worlds later that year. She also won the U.S Championships in 1994. She attended the 1992 and 1994 Winter Olympics, placing fourth and eighth respectively. In 1991, she was the first American woman to successfully perform a triple Axel, and only the second woman to do so in history.

In January of 1994, fellow U.S Figure Skater Nancy Kerrigan was attacked outside of a figure skating practice. Investigation into the assault revealed that Tonya's ex-husband Jeff Gillooly had orchestrated the attack in order to help Tonya earn a spot for the 1994 Olympics. Despite never being legally charged with prior knowledge of the attack, many in the public assume that she knew more than she admitted, and she was later banned for life from the United States Figure Skating Association, and stripped of her 1994 U.S Nationals Title.

Of course, you probably don't know her for that.

[[caption-width-right:350: Tonya after landing the triple axel for the first time in competition]]

Her life was chronicled in the biopic ''Film/ITonya'', with Creator/MargotRobbie playing Harding. Robbie earned a Best Actress nomination for the role.

Her life was chronicled in the biopic ''Film/ITonya''.

Tonya Maxene Price (née Harding; born November 12, 1970) was a former [[UsefulNotes/FigureSkating figure skater]] for the United States. She began skating when she was only four years old, and spent most of her life training, even dropping out of high school to devote more of her time to the ice. She was active in the mid-to-late 80's and early 90's. She won the 1989 Skate America Competition and placed first at the U.S Championships in 1991 and second at the worlds later that year. She also won the U.S Championships in 1994. She attended the 1992 and 1994 Winter Olympics, placing fourth and eighth respectively.

Her life was chronicled in the biopic ''Film/ITonya''.

Tonya Maxene Price (née Harding; born November 12, 1970) was a former figure skater for the United States. She began skating when she was only four years old, and spent most of her life training, even dropping out of high school to devote more of her time to the ice. She was active in the mid-to-late 80's and early 90's. She won the 1989 Skate America Competition and placed first at the U.S Championships in 1991 and second at the worlds later that year. She also won the U.S Championships in 1994. She attended the 1992 and 1994 Winter Olympics, placing fourth and eighth respectively.

Her life was chronicled in the biopic ''Film/ITonya''.


* AbusiveParents: Tonya was raised mainly by her alcoholic mother who physically and verbally abused her, even going as far as to allegedly throw a knife at her.

* CripplingTheCompetition: Tonya’s ex-husband Jeff Gillooly was convicted of planning an attack on fellow skater Nancy Kerrigan, though no one knows for sure how much Tonya herself knew.

* DomesticAbuse: Tonya’s first husband, Jeff Gillooly, had the police called on him numerous times, including having a restraining order placed on him and pointing a loaded weapon at her.

* EveryYearTheyFizzleOut: Aside from a silver in the 1991 World Championship, she didn't perform well internationally, including 4th and 6th in the Winter Olympics.

* FallenOnHardTimesJob: After Tonya was banned from Figure Skating, she was seen taking jobs such as a celebrity boxer or reality TV star guest.

* Sugarwiki/MomentOfAwesome: Landing the Triple Axel in 1991. The crowd is deafening, the commentators seem in awe of what they are witnessing, and Tonya’s grin can be seen despite the low-quality 90’s cameras used to film.

* NeverLiveItDown: The attack on Nancy Kerrigan which she was indirectly related to [[OvershadowedByControversy overshadowed]] just about everything in her career.

* UnskilledButStrong: She had great athleticism, but was not very good at the grace and artistry, thus not faring well against more rounded skaters such as Nancy Kerrigan and Oksana Baiul.

* BigGame: The 1994 Winter Olympics

* CripplingTheCompetition: Tonya’s ex-husband Jeff Gillooley was convicted of planning an attack on fellow skater Nancy Kerrigan, though no one knows for sure how much Tonya herself knew.

* DomesticAbuse: Tonya’s first husband, Jeff Gillooley, had the police called on him numerous times, including having a restraining order placed on him and pointing a loaded weapon at her.

* MomentOfAwesome: Landing the Triple Axel in 1991. The crowd is deafening, the commentators seem in awe of what they are witnessing, and Tonya’s grin can be seen despite the low-quality 90’s cameras used to film.

In January of 1994, fellow U.S Figure Skater Nancy Kerrigan was attacked outside of a figure skating practice. Investigation into the assault revealed that Tonya's ex-husband Jeff Gillooly had orchestrated the attack in order to help Tonya earn a spot for the 1994 Olympics. Despite never being legally charged with prior knowledge of the attack, many in the public assume that she knew more than she admitted, and she was later banned for life from the United States Figure Skating Association, and stripped of her 1994 U.S Nationals Title.

[[quoteright:350:

[[quoteright:350:https://bostonglobe-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/C-_jIc31iMNWGFB3Ukq8kMMo90U=/1440x0/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-bostonglobe.s3.amazonaws.com/public/5FKKYIXGQ4I6PFVIH3SFCBDRBQ.jpg

[[quoteright:350:https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2017/12/21/01/477DCF3100000578-5200239-image-a-28_1513818238005.jpg