Tonya Harding

About Tonya Harding

Tonya Maxine Harding (born November 12, 1970) is an American figure skating champion. Despite a difficult childhood in an unstable family and a medical history of asthma, she became an elite figure skater. She won the U.S. Figure Skating Championships twice and placed second in the 1991 World Championships. She was the second woman, and the first American woman, to complete a triple axel jump in competition.

She became notorious after her ex-husband Jeff Gillooly, and his co-conspirators Shawn Eckhardt and Shane Stant, attacked competitor Nancy Kerrigan at a practice session during the 1994 U.S. Figure Skating Championships.

Harding was born in Portland, Oregon, the daughter of LaVona and Al Harding. She had a half-brother named Chris Davison (deceased). During this time witnesses report she was abused by her mother. Harding began skating at an early age. She landed her first triple lutz at age 12. Her mother made many of her skating costumes.