Midori Ito said the same thing. Despite Midori being the first woman ever to complete the triple axel and an all around powerhouse, I can remember her saying sadly in an interview that she'd never be at the very top because she wasn't pretty. So sad and a damning indictment on the sport.
At the time of filming “I, Tonya” there were only two women in the world that could land a triple axle. Both were training for the Olympics and refused to be the skating double for fear of injury. They tried other skating doubles for the scene but none of them could land the triple axle. They ended up having to recreate the jump using visual computer imagery. So even nearly 30 years later, only six women have been able to do what Tonya did in 1991. That, ladies and gentlemen, is what you call a legacy.
You said it . . . .here is the proof and I am glad for it. She was great in 91" It was just a shame she didn't hold that excellence into the following year!
Sooz Kempner Exactly! I remember when she skated in competition and she was so awesome! I've watched this video 3 times and her performance is so great it's making me cry.
I was watching Russian skaters last Saturday and Sunday. They were beatuful. Then I went back and watched Tanya. Damn, she was like a race car competing against a horse and buggy. So freaking strong and fast. Blew me away
The way the announcer praises her when she lands the triple axel “good girl! Oh isn’t that great! How nice, how terrific!” With such genuine excitement makes me so sad to know she never received that praise as a little girl.
For those getting pissed who landed triple axel first. It's midori ito who landed it first overall woman. Tonya harding is the first AMERICAN woman to land triple axel
Rosa Bethany Iglarsh yeah, she was second, what, was she supposed to make a 'i stepped in poop' face just beacuse she is second in world to be able to do this?
gissneric Midori Ito is not American. This has nothing to do with the color of her skin or discrimination.... She is Japanese. Born in Japan, lived in Japan, Japanese citizen, competed for Japan. What part of that makes her American FFS?
Whether you hate her or not, remember that only 2 American women have landed a triple axel in competition, Tonya and Mirai She is a legend and has raised the bar in figure skating and no scandal will ever take that away from her
The third American woman is Kimmie Meissner, but she never landed it at international competition. Tonya and Mirai are the only Americans who landed it internationally, and Mirai is the only American skater who did it at the Olympics. Also, the OP wasn't talking about Meissner at all, they mentioned specifically Tonya and Mirai.
Lots of people are talking about how sad it is that she wasn't given the credit she deserved, which I agree. But for the moment can we appreciate how charming it was when she came out of the jump and looked so thrilled and pumped her fists a little. She had a huge smile the rest of the performance and even the commenters were so excited for her which was so sweet. Love this video
She got the credit. I was watching this on TV back in the day and always rooted for her, especially during the Kerrigan crap because I really just didn't like how Kerrigan was treated like the ice princess. I always liked Tonya. Her routines were better, more energy, better music. The people liked her despite what the media said.
This is a perfect example of why people hate figure skating. The best skater doesn’t always win the competition. She was the best and judges didn’t like her, hence why often never won even though she did better than the winner.
@@TheAmerika99 Many times she showed up out of shape and did 4 triples or less. It is very rare she lost a competition she deserved to win. The only possible cases I can think of are the 89 Nationals and 91 worlds.
You should watch Sarah Hughes's olympics performance if you're looking for someone who cheers for herself: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-B-Au7ZvpO2E.html&ab_channel=3Axel1996
Tonya landed the triple axel, she even landed more of them in more competitions. It doesn’t make sense why she would hurt Nancy Kerrigan, she married the wrong guy, Jeff completely ruined her career.
EXACTLY!! she was better than nancy in every way, to me it was all planned so she would be banned for life for not being the typical image of an "ice queen" as nancy, they did her wrong...
Ya the triple axel is nice but damn that was a HUGE triple lutz. She has such effortless power. Even girls today bend way down to execute a triple lutz and Tonya makes it look so easy like she’s not even trying.
Totally effortless. Spectacular. Sooo much more height and power than any girls today. The girls today stay very close to the ice and don't put any "spirit" into their jumps. They don't have the strength or balance to jump or land the way Tonya did
Dude. She's one of the few people in the world to successfully land a triple axel in competition. While the triple lutz was great, the triple axel overshadows it by a lot.
Tonya's jumps are very HIGH compared to today's figure skaters. I was looking through the current crop of US skaters and what people are saying is right. Many of today's women don't get the same height and seem low when they perform their jumps. Tonya, on the other hand, has her skates go well past the standing point of where her hips and stomach are when she takes air. I'm no expert but her power is even more obvious to me, after comparing the past and the present.
Tonya did have high jumps. At the time Scott Hamilton rated Tonya just behind Midori Ito in technical ability. Tonya was the 1st American lady to land a triple axel in international competition back in 1991. Mirai Nagasu just became the 2nd American lady to do it, 27 years later, at the 2018 Olympics. It is too bad Tonya did not stay focused and concentrate on her skating. She never landed a triple axel in competition after 1991 and she never medalled at the Olympics. With her raw talent, she could have done a lot more.
Black cloud I wanted to see more spinning. Maybe that’s something skaters do more than they used to. It would be fun to see some footage from longer back and see what kinds of spins through the years
And people say TONYA was jealous? Psssh, of what? Look at her! I have no stance on the attack, I was like, 6 or 7 when it happened, so judging on her vs. Nancy, Tonya's better.
@@brennalee8709 RIGHT?! She's mind blowing. Female athletes in other sports don't need to look a certain way so I don't see why figure skating is any different. Besides she looks beautiful to me 🤷🏻♀️ people suck sometimes
Vim do quinta mistério, essa mulher é muito talentosa e incrível, não merece tudo o q passou! Estou arrepiada com essa apresentação❤🤩 infelizmente foi injustiçada!
I always liked her even after the 'incident.' A lot of people didn't care for her because she didn't fit into the ice princess mode. Say what you will but NOONE had that kind of power in their jumps. It's nice to see her coming back into the public eye for all the right reasons. It's time and I wish her all the best.
As a kid I remember the incident with Nancy when she's crying on the floor "Why me why me" and my mother was laughing at Nancy because she annoyed her and he crying seemed like overacting. To this day my mom still isn't very fond of Nancy but Tonya she's always liked.. Truth is Tonya made a ton more ppl watch ice skating, she probably revived it.
You could feel it in the room that people knew they witnessed history and that this was her moment and just wanted her to continue and finish out this performance as best as possible.
I skated with Tonya as a kid and she truly was a phenom in every sense of the word! To be on the ice with her at practice was amazing. She skated with such speed and determination. She was fearless! She easily could have won the world championship and the Olympics without cheating. Very sad. Still an excellent skater.
It’s kinda sad tho, seeing her interviews where she talks about the attack on that other woman, it was her boyfriend and one of his friends that wanted to take her out for tonya, and tonya told them repeatedly not to frickin do anything but they still did
How do you know she told them repeatedly? Because of I, Tonya? I, Tonya accepts everything Tonya Harding says as fact, which it may not be. I think she was lying. She was in on it.
I got the impression that she knew about the death threat, which is still deplorable to do, but not the actual physical attack. But one thing about "I, Tonya" is that you really can't trust the narrative, and it makes a point for you not to.
Tonya had such effortless power on her jumps and it’s truly beautiful. If the scandal had never happened I think she could have been known for so much more
There are top skaters today who couldn't get through this program with a single mistake. Say what you will about this girl, but this performance is untouchable!!
kurkkumopo hahahaha would love to see them try 😂 on what planet do you live in where most top (female) skaters can do a triple lutz and a triple axel within the first five seconds of each other? There’s only one other female in the US who can do a triple in competition. Smdh
besides all her fantastic jumps, that triple loop at 2:23 was other-worldly. she got so much height that she still had time to open up in the air. it looked so effortless. i really miss her skating.
Honestly I hate what happened to her. Its so heartbreaking. Wasted talent is a travesty and to see her complete that triple axle was so Awsome! Nancy couldn't even do it. Its just a shame that poor athletes that can't always look the part with pretty costumes and looks often get overlooked. Sad that she got caught up in all that shit with her husbands plot to hurt Nancy:(
EUROPEAN BURMESE um, she was agood skater but she didn’t believe she was because she had to be involved in a plan to hurt someone that happened to be her rival. To be the best, you have to compete against the best. She already admitted to knowing about the plan. She let her jealous spirit take over her. She admitted to wanting the life that nancy had.... she was a very competitive, envious person who got what she deserved.
kjaee , Come on........she might know about the plan but did she agree or plan it? She know she can do it! This video proof it! Does she need to injure Nancy to win?! with her talent like this?
I, Tonya brought me here, and this woman is remarkable. No doubt the victim of a horrible life upbringing and relationship. I'll be a fan of hers for life. I remember watching her live as a 9 year old kid with my aunt and uncle, along with other greats, Nancy Kerrigan, Brian Boitano, Phillip Candelorro, Yamaguchi, Katarina Witt. Feels like so long ago. I'm glad her story was finally told.
We will never know if she was involved. Looking back at it 20 years later , she was a superb skater and didn't need any help. I think it was planned by her husband and the oaf he hung out with. They saw a chance to make money off of Tonya Harding and all the potential endorsements .
I agree totally. And the tabloids and media ate Tonya alive. Kerrigan just doesn't gain my sympathy. Months later she just left skating. Tonya didn't need to do anything to anyone. Her skating was absolutely superb.
Charlotte Dickson , I agree. I think they should remove her lifetime ban and let her coach and earn a living. She could train a new generation of skaters.
In a recent interview they actually gather the proof....And she also admits it. She was involved, she just didn't stop it. She is a beautiful skater though, her reaction after she lands that jump is priceless, lol
I thought she was able to teach? if not that fucked up, tho I have seen her on TruTV Worlds Dumbest/Smartest crackin jokes with professional comedians.
Neither Nancy or Tonya deserved what had happened to them. I dont believe she was involved in the attack. why would she want to put herself in that kind of situation? she was one of the best skaters in the world and a public scandal would do her no good. Nancy Kerrigan shouldn't have been hurt and Tonya shouldnt have gotten all the backlash that her stupid husband caused. They both deserved so much more
Tonya was washed up by 94. She had not done more than a 2 or 3 triple program in years. Even her U.S Nationals winning performance had only 4 clean triples and that was the only time she had that many since 91. She probably did need the attack to be a contender.
2:24 Wow, just WOW, and she did that two times. This performance is simply perfect !! 👏👏😍 Her jumps were so clean. TOP skaters nowadays are good, but this girl was something else, her routine, as I said, was PERFECT 👏
Reading this in 2021. I kept up with her at the national competitions and I was watching her performances on TV in 94 and saw all of the drama. If you could find a skater with Tonya's power and Oksana's grace she would be perfection. Tonya just needed someone to teach her some ballet. The fact that all she did artistically was wave her arms up and down seemed to be more important to the judges than those amazing jumps. I think there should have been room for both types of skaters.
caralho eu to toda arrepiada que apresentação incrível, tudo foi perfeito, o tanto de tempo que aplaudiram ela puta merda, foi um momento único que não vai acontecer mais
brih Mendiola, Tonya was the 2nd woman to ever land a triple axel in competition. Midori Ito of Japan was the first in 1988. To date, 8 women including 2 americans have landed triple axels in international competition. Only 3 women have ever landed a triple axel at the Olympic Games. Tonya is not one of them.
I wonder how many people around the world rewatch Nancy's performances from time to time. A think zero. Nancy will never take fans' love from Tonya away.
@@USA-qm2bk I know this is and old comment, but I watched one interview with someone who worked on the movie and they could not get any skaters do it because it was before some competition and nobody was willing to break their ankle or injure themselves because the jump is so challenging even for skaters today.
Her talent was one in a billion. She was one of the greatest figure skaters in the history of the sport(!). It doesn’t matter how many times I watch this. Her smile is infectious and this performance gives me the fucking chills 20X watches later. The skating association in 80s/90s during her heyday were a bunch of assholes. The system was totally rigged against her for superficial bullshit. She often did not receive the marks she deserved because she didn’t fit into their mold of The Image. After watching I, Tonya, I developed a fascination with the real Tonya, and I feel great deal of remorse for her. All the while the media painted her as this monster (and Nancy as the princess) that she simply wasn’t. I wasn’t born until 1992, so I don’t remember the scandal. But like I said, the movie (timed perfectly right before the Olympics) inspired me to learn more about her. This girl had a hell of a shitty life, but was so fucking talented. People say if only she didn’t have her mother and ex husband dragging her down she would’ve medaled a gold. What happened to her was absolutely devastating and a waste of talent. She may‘ve not wanted to “play along,” and some of her unpredictability did hurt her chances as well, but in the end I don’t believe she had anything to do with what happened to Nancy. She just surrounded herself with the wrong people. Today she says she is happily married with a seven year old son. I hope whomever she’s married to now treats her the way she should’ve been loved her entire life.
Now THIS is an extremely well-done and entertaining routine! Nancy and all of Tonya's other competitors were so boring in my opinion. Tonya was definitely the most talented!
Agreed. Her choice in music definitely helps. (Tone Loc? Wasn't expecting that!) If the movie I, Tonya is to be believed, and the judges penalized her for her choice in music, that really sucks.
This program still puts the biggest smile in my face, no matter how much stake is evolutionated with quads and staff, this was powerful and artistic at the same time.
This always makes me tear up, such a joyous moment, and everyone got to share it. I think Tonya was the most powerful skater I have ever seen. Just a joy to watch..
Tonya was so great in 1991. I loved the three-tier music sections - especially the "Send In The Clowns." Many stated she wasn't very artistic, but when she had the jumps she actually had very good artistry, I think. (I've always felt since was a good skater on her own merit that this was the reason she could never be a part of that attack on Nancy).
Cher Cher Oh okay. It's really good. I found it on some website for free. Its about 2 hours but its worth it and Margot Robbie did an amazing portrayal of her.
Cher Cher I think the movie did a great job of telling Tonya's story and letting the audience hear her voice for once. I feel like the media has portrayed her as some kind of monster or some jealous hater or whatever. The movie really showed who she was as a person and that she wasn't malicious or jealous at all. She had a rough upbringing and was a hard worker even when the judges constantly made it clear they weren't a fan of her because of her background. The movie does a great job of showing everyone's perspective, Tonya's, Jeff's, her mother's. So I don't think it was all about being sympathetic to Tonya or being "on her side" just trying to tell people that we maybe got it wrong all this time.
I love this performance! She is completely FEELING IT! The triple axel is impressive but every time I see her do those moves from 4:13-4-18 I'm amazed she's still upright! 😮
Sure Tonya made some mistakes but I think this movie will bring light to her horrible raising and bring attention to those who don't know about the greatness she brought to the sport of figure skating
I love the male announcers positivity. How long has it been since you heard someone use "terrific!" As an adjective? Lol.He was genuinely happy for her. I love this video.
That was offing BRILLIANT!!! Not to get in her business but I hope her son has seen this footage. He'd be SO proud of his mom :^) Not that he isn't already but you know. :^)
Come on people! She is talented, perfect and a professional ice skater! She can do it.. PERFECTLY. Does she needs to injure Nancy to win? THINK ABOUT IT!!!!!!
Think whatever you want, she was not involved, her husband planned (very poorly) the whole thing shatering her life. Actually, each one of us is free to have our own opinion of the incident, mine is "she was not involved".
Everytime I view this video I feel this wonderful feeling. It makes me so happy just seeing her expression after she lands the triple axle. Sheer talent!! And her face at the end when she raises her arms in a V. The joy on her face is infectious!!
I remember when I saw this on t.v. as a kid, I thought, I would also become a skater. Never happened ;( But I remember thinking and still do think she is an amazing skater.