I will never understand why people didn’t think tonya was pretty, she’s so beautiful Edit: so I keep getting replies to this comment comparing the girls, Nancy and Tonya. I’m just gonna say, in no way am I opening and endorsing people to put down one girl in order to bring another girl up. Tonya is a beautiful person and so is Nancy, stop belittling one of them😐
Ikr!! I always thought that she was cute. She had a nice figure, pretty blonde hair, and a cute nose. I loved her skating style. She stood out among the others
She was beautiful and Very talented. But in a World where Everyone else is upper upper Middle class/rich.... And u come from trailer park. She did not fit their version of reality. But imo she still stands out in the world of figure skating
It was at this event that Tonya decided she had to have a triple axel in her program. I saw an article that said Tonya saw Midori warming up before the long program skate and watched Midori do, in succession, a single axel, then a double axel and then a triple axel. Tonya turned to her coach and said she can't do that. Her coach said she just did. When Tonya got back to the US she told her coach she has to add a triple axel to her skate.
Didn't Tonya try and fall on the triple Axle at the Competition directly before this one? because in an interview at that competition she says her next competition is NHK.
@@AMD1114 - you are correct. Tonya tried a triple axel at the 1990 US Olympic Festival Figure Skating in her free skate and fell on it. In the post skate interview she said her next competition was the NHK in November. I don't believe she was fully committed to the triple axel at the point. This is an excerpt from the article I was referring to in a 2005 Spokane newspaper referring to Tonya as a pioneer of the triple axel. "Ito and Harding had the right build - short, strong, with big quadriceps. They also had the right mental makeup. “The reason Tonya could do it was, she was so strong. She was so strong as an individual,” said Dody Teachman, who coached Harding when she learned and landed the triple axel. “And in her head, as we all know … she was a take-the-bull-by-the-horns kind of girl. If somebody said, ‘You can’t do that,’ she said, ‘Oh, yes, I can.’ Ito first landed the jump at the 1988 Aichi Prefecture championship, then did it again at the 1989 world championships. The jump wowed the judges as much as it did the fans. And Ito used the Axel as a psychological weapon. The next year, Teachman and Harding were together at the 1990 NHK Trophy in Japan, where Ito also was competing. Ito didn’t do the triple axel in the practices leading to the event, and Harding and Teachman figured they were safe not trying to insert the jump into Harding’s routine. The U.S. skater and her coach were at the side of the arena during the warmup before the women’s free skate as Ito skated past and launched a single axel. “The (rink) barriers were very high, and her feet crested the barrier. She was easily three or four feet in the air,” Teachman said. “She went around and did a huge double axel. Tonya was standing at the barrier, watching. Midori skates around, does a huge triple axel. Tonya looked at me and said, ‘She can’t do that.’ “I said, ‘She just did.’ Tonya came home and decided it had to be in her program.” And of course Tonya became the 1st American Lady and 2nd woman overall to land a triple axel at the 1991 US figure skating championship in Minneapolis.
@@lsrasr158 Tonya was lucky enough to have to great coaches, I always think it was a shame that Dody got so little attention in Itonya, I know she coached Tonya for just a short time compared to Diane but they were Tonya's best years. I also wonder if Diane and Dody remained friends after Diane took Tonya back after she dumped Dody, and if Tonya and Diane remained friends after Tonyas skating ban.
@@AMD1114 Tonya did have 2 great coaches. From what I read, Diane worked with Tonya for 14 years but when Tonya stopped working towards the goals Diane set for her, Diane broke her ties with Tonya and had Dodi take over the coaching reins. So Dodi coached Tonya through her best year, 1991. I don't know about Diane and Dody's relationship today, but I read that Dody apparently still coaches Tonya today and says Tonya is still an excellent skater doing spins and double axels. It is a shame that Tonya lost her focus after her great 1991 year. She never medalled in the 2 olympics she was in and she never landed a triple axel at the olympics.
@@lsrasr158 Its so sad she landed the triple Axle on Olympic ice in her warm up in 1992 but fell on it in her programme. I like to think they are all friends I don't think they went to the Olympics with anyone else so Tonya took them further then any other skater, or they took her further depending which way you look at it.
And the very first Figure Woman Skater to do triple Axels and to land them.This Woman lost alot.Fucking with that crazy Ass Monsterous Ex Husband of hers.Tonya Harding was Always picked on by the Figure Skating Judges on the Panel.They knew she had mad Good Skills.They treated Her just like the Do Johnny Weir, Surya Bonalay of France the Black Skater that do the Back flips on the Ice and the Spits in the Air.The even do the Legendary Gay Skater Rudy Guilindae the Foreign Mexican Skater this way.Rudy use to be the pair Skating Partner with Kristie Yamaguchie be for they Skated Single.Look it Up ! They very bias Against Gay Skaters too.
I've seen so many comments from judges and others that Tonya didn't have the artistic ability or grace that other skaters had. Well I disagree. She has so much art and grace to her skating. A little more aggressive in some ways, but always beautiful to watch. Her slight lack of subtlety is overwhelmingly made up for in her real talent, just plain out there raw skill and training, but also beautiful. There is no doubt, that even though her skating technique is slightly different from her competitors, she is far superior. And the whole Nancy Kerrigan thing, really hard to figure that out. Too bad for Nancy, and all sympathies she was attacked. But I have never been completely convinced that Tonya was behind it. Her ex husband was very shady, very greedy. Tonya had worked her whole life toward skating, toward the Olympic games, that meant everything to her. Risk it all for some shady act against a co-skater? I don't think that is where her head was at. I think more likely that is where her ex-husband's head was at.
I have Followed Ice Figure Skating for Years and years.Im African American and I have Followed the Sport since I was 9 yrs Old.I,m Now 54 yrs Old.I remember Nancy Kerrigan and Tonya Harding.Thwy both are Good Skaters in their own right.But Honestly in All truth.Tonya Harding crazy Ass Ex Husband really fucked this Woman Career UP ! Tonya Harding is Beast on the ICE.She is one of the only Women Skaters to do and land a Triple Axel clean No falls.And she was the first USA Skater to do it.Do your research Please.And U will really see What this true Skilled talented Tonya Harding lost out on.Alot.Even Tbough ! It was Bold as Hell what Her Ex Husband had done to Nancy Kerringan was,t Right ( A evil Ass Demonic Ass Monster ).He was Mad that Tonya was leaving his Ass.So he set out to Sabotage her Career.And thats true.Nancy was a Good Skater but she was never No threat Nor Match too Tonya Harding.
Amanda Tetz - it was at this competition that Tonya decided she needed a triple axel in her program. She saw Midori Ito in warm up perform a single double and triple axel in succession. Tonya was amazed by it, went back home and decided to introduce the triple axel into her skate which she successfully landed at the 1991 nationals in Minneapolis.
How beautiful to watch her ,Tonya you were just a woman who tryna live ,in sport,in life.and your passion for skating will be such a present for future
It's depressing to always see Tonya Harding getting a low score from the judges... Tonya Harding is always adding triples... and still not getting the deserving sore!! That judges and the judging is corrupt!!!
Such a strong powerful skater. I'm so glad her life us so much better. It makes me sad that they took what she so loved away from her. Now she teaching and training young skaters. Im so happy for her.
Laura Shook so I guess you would like her even if she clubbed you in your knee?. She’s a criminal who should be in prison. She was jealous of Nancy and she was thrown out of figure skating altogether. Good!
@@michellemckillop2931 She was not charged with the crime. Her stupid husband orchestrated the attack. I admire her talent and athleticism. You should get your facts straight.
Someone in Japan had to see Tonya and those legs and stockings and blue dress and said "That is your base model for Chun Li in Street Fighter 2." Its those legs baby, just so powerful.
It was supposed to be a triple salchow. But it is a lovely combo. I enjoy when skaters do unusual combos like that. It's not something we will likely ever see under the current scoring system. It wouldn't be worth enough.
This is crazy it's like someone's predicting the future she's playing a Batman song and Margot Robbie played Harley Quinn and wind up playing her what a weird coincidence
Tonya looks very beautiful and polished here, with her presentation and look. She would have done better if she would have presented herself more like this is US competitions. She also should have adopted wearing that flower, which softens her and brings out her vulnerability....visually.
Cherry She had no one to guide her, no one to suggest perhaps better choices, and not enough money to do that on her own. With such a total lack of support, I’m just amazed she made it as far as she did. A testament to her own internal strength, fortitude, and perseverance.
baritonebynight she was certainly exciting out there on the ice. She also had a LOT of grace and elegance (something I guess I’d forgotten about) in addition to her strength. I forgot how gorgeous her layback spins were....and the beauty of her skating across the ice in an arc on the very edge of her blade, leaning backwards. Soooo beautiful! But those jumps. That’s what she was known for. She made jumping the triple axel look like a piece of cake. I don’t think anyone rivaled her in that area (except for MAYBE Midori Ito).
Jumps aside I love her spins. Perfect posture, extension, hand positions, and arm position on every one. Even when she changes feet she doesn't step outside that perfect circle.
Tone Loc. Lmao classic Tonya! The music before, so fitting for her surprisingly.... and the grace! She nailed the polished look here right out of the park. Underscored. 5.2 and 5.4? Seriously? Smdh. In any case she was soooo sad during and immediately after that skate.... why I wonder
Her lowest score was a 5.4 and most were 5.6 and 5.7. She was scored really well considering how many triples she doubled. Remember, this was the ordinal system, so the number doesn't really matter. What matters is where she was placed in relation to the other skaters. Again, her scores are in line with how she skated, if not a tad generous.
This girl out skated every skater I've ever seen read information about the triple Axle It's virtually impossible and has taken almost 20 years for someone to even complete it
Her moves are so amazing, I've never saw that fluidity in any other skater, her energy has impact! I wish I were on 1990 to give love to her, fortunately I'm a fan of the best of the world
I miss figure skating. I was very good at one time though I had no coach and learned from watching it on tv. I memorized the moves and practiced over and over. It would have cost over 30000 a year in training.
A very good skate overall, but it seemed she either got tired or lost her nerve near the end doubling the sal and singling the axel, neither of which she did when she skated this performance later that season at nationals (with the added triple axel).
I have to say back in the day I believed what they reported on the news. Not anymore!!! After watching I, Tonya and finding out the skating (I can't think of the name of it) just didn't want to give her a chance because she didn't have a wholesome family. For crying out loud they made fun of her outfits too!! It makes me rethink everything that happened.
Harding was a beauty and a powerhouse. What she lacked was that ballerina type gracefulness top skaters had. Kerrigan had that grace but lacked Harding 's powerful moves. This made Kerrigan lose the gold medal and frankly, aside from her grace and beauty, didn't offer anything more to make her the gold standard. Harding could have been given that training to teach her to be more graceful, if anyone had looked past her economic shortfalls. It's sad the potential that was lost.
@@valmacclinchyyes, Midori Ito was the first woman to land it ever. Always amazed me that Midori pulled it off with the wrap she had. She was very powerful.
I think Tonya showed more grace and artistry when she was younger, and a little thinner. To me her positions look much better here and in most of the 91 programs than in anything after. I agree with someone who posted elsewhere that she peaked in 91. She first landed the triple Axel at the 91 Nationals, then again at the 91 Worlds, and then again in both programs - short and long - of the 91 Skate America. I don't know what happened to cause the big downhill slide from the 91 Skate America to the 92 season, but I'm sorry it happened. After landing 4 triples in three major competitions in a row in 1991, she never again landed her triple axel in a competitive program. She skated a few good competitive programs after that, like the 94 Nationals, but she never reached the heights of 1991 again. Nancy peaked, and simply skated much, much better at the '94 Olympics. Tonya took herself out of medal contention with a bad short program performance, which left her in TENTH place going into the long. Her overall finish was 8th place after a respectable, but not luminary, long program skate. Nancy won the short program, and tied with Oksana in the long. Nancy scored one tenth of 1 point higher than Oksana in the technical scores, and Oksana scored one tenth of 1 point higher than Nancy in the artistic scores. But in the long program, the artistic scores are the scores that break the tie, so Oksana received the gold.
Exactly. Tonya could never match what she did when she was actually training well. She just wasn't putting in the work after 1991 and it showed. The extra weight she carried made her skating awkward and clunky. She was definitely better artistically prior to 1993. It's unfortunate. She didn't meet her potential.
@@KaramarikaI agree. I heard her say on an interview, when asked what happened to her in the 4 months leading up to the 92 Olympics, that she guessed she just got lazy. So she herself admitted the problem.
I thought the scores were pretty appropriate. She was much better in the short program of this competition. Here, she popped a ton of jumps in this program, failed to do a triple jump in a combination, and lost a ton of speed and stamina in the end making her performance look heavy and laggy. She also spent most of the choreography skating easily on two feet and skating forwards, the easiest way to move across the ice. For a power skater, she also did not move across the ice well here. She barely covered the rink with any speed and stayed near the center most of the time. The most interesting part of this performance was the one-foot transition she did after her double-footed (or near double-footed) triple flip. There she showed some complex skating skills. Otherwise, she did very basic skating outside of the triples and spins she managed to do here. She did not have the best carriage either making her look sloppy, clunky, and hunched over in-between the jumps when she was skating around. It gave an impression that she was uncoordinated. When you see a true master of the blade move across (like Patrick Chan or even Yuka Sato since she was her contemporary), then you notice the difference.