Tonya Harding is the belle of the ball at I Tonya premiere

What is it you think Tonya may come back to? AFAIK, she has never really done anything but skate and she certainly cannot go back to that.

That lucrative celebrity boxing career, R1.

When they tracked her down to talk to her about signing off on the movie, she was living in a Motel 6. Hopefully she uses the money she got and whatever good will she might get from this movie to get her life back on track.

Over my dead body.

She lives in the town next to mine. Total Republican Frau. I can't believe they trot her out for parades and festivals.

Read about Tonya earlier this year. She's a lot happier now, with a son and a stable husband.

I'm honestly very happy for her, that she's getting to experience a moment like this. Yes, in the long run, she pretty much ended up like her mother said she would, but it's nice that she's getting at least one moment where she can dress up and meet celebs and be glamorous... or, at least, as glamorous as Tonya is capable of being. I hope she's making some kind of money off of this.

[R2]. Thank you so much! I had forgotten about her glory days as Laila Ali. Poor Tonya. She had so much potential and she messed it up.

"Comeback" as what? A skater? She probably has trouble walking, much less skating. Was she ever a reality tv star? Maybe she could make a "comeback" as one of those. She has always been a train wreck; there's always been an audience for train wrecks.

That's her appeal, and I'm surprised she's not a DL icon.

Team Tonya!

Oh, sweetie, no, that's not what you smell.

I gotta hand it to her, the cunt has balls.

i like tonya better than whiny nancy horseface kerrigan. kerrigan always looked like a snot. you know she would have been the girl in your class that hassled you cause you were gay.

Will she sign my tire iron?

Yes she made a stupid stupid mistake (knee cap of Nancy) but damn- I wish I had her grit and determination on the rink.

[quote]She's a lot happier now, with a son and a stable husband.

Then what's she doing living in a motel 6?

LOL at the persistent idea that Tonya ordered the kneecapping of Nancy....

R16, what determination? When she refused to practice, or quit smoking despite her asthma? That determination?

I don’t smell a comeback but she does have the “who farted?” face in OP’s picture

It’s so funny to see her next to Margot. Even in her heyday Tonya was never much to look at, and she’s being portrayed by one of the most beautiful women ever to work in Hollywood.

Wasn’t there a sex tape?

Yeah there was. It was boring and Jeff was selfish in bed.

You should all make a point of going to see the film. I saw it at HIFF25 and it WILL win awards. In a week's time,you'll all be on here saying WOW,about ALL the participants. Great piece of film making...go and enjoy a story well told and pass your opinions afterward,

From the trailer, it looks great.

I always felt sorry for Tonya.

Tonya is not making a dime off this movie.... sorry for all those who were hoping she would.

And all you bitches saying the only comeback future she has is boxing... fuck off! She can go back to providing wonderful color commentary!!!!

She is rumored to be on celebrity big brother.

Fuck Margot.

This was MY Oscar role.

Yes r28, the resemblance is much stronger. Or even Amy Ryan.

Problem is, the Amys are too old.

Does Sebastian get naked? Do they re enact the sex tape?

Her coaches said she could have been the world's greatest female skater, but she wouldn't practice, smoked despite having asthma, didn't eat right, wore hideous home made costumes and let her no good husband control her. She was a white trash girl, and she never changed that way. I don't have much sympathy for her. She had the potential to make something of her life and she threw it all away.

[quote]Her coaches said she could have been the world's greatest female skater,

Every coach says that about their athlete. They bear responsibility for enabling her.

And she was never going to the world's greatest female skater since Midori did everything first and better than Tonya ever did.

Jeff Gillooly had a big long cock.

[quote]Jeff Gillooly had a big long cock.

Mine was longer.

[quote]Every coach says that about their athlete. They bear responsibility for enabling her. And she was never going to the world's greatest female skater since Midori did everything first and better than Tonya ever did.

Yep. And while she was a great athlete, she had no artistry whatsoever. Artistry counts in figure skating, like it or not.

Shooot I did not realize that she did not practice as hard as she should have and/or would not stop smoking. R19 I guess I really don’t know her story.... I was knocked up in 1994

[quote] she had no artistry whatsoever. Artistry counts in figure skating,

Fuck you.

Would someone with no artistry skate to Wild Thing, Robin Hood and Jurassic Park?

NANCY KERRIGANS SON ,ATTHEW SOLOMAN I SGAY

Someone came up to Ramona Singer at the premiere thinking she was Tonya Harding.

What a ducking tub of lard! I hope she doesn’t try to squeeze into a leotard.

It is possible the movie paid her to walk the red carpet

R10, I've never understood why she wasn't an icon here in Portland at least and to the gay community. Portland likes to say it is "weird", but no one supported her in the 90s, outside a small group. My favorite anecdote was the "Tonya Harding Special" at a local restaurant: A Club Sandwich and a bow of Chicken Soup.

I've always loved her. We grew up similarly, but I went on to college and a career.

[quote] Her coaches said she could have been the world's greatest female skater, but she wouldn't practice, smoked despite having asthma, didn't eat right, wore hideous home made costumes and let her no good husband control her. She was a white trash girl, and she never changed that way. I don't have much sympathy for her. She had the potential to make something of her life and she threw it all away.

Tonya even admitted it that in Fall 1991 and Winter 1992 she completely slacked off and didn't train at all, and she came in FOURTH at the Olympics without even seriously training.

If she was at her peak (like she was in 1991) she would have edged Nancy Kerrigan off the podium of at least the Olympic Bronze medal.

[quote]If she was at her peak (like she was in 1991) she would have edged Nancy Kerrigan off the podium of at least the Olympic Bronze medal.

As Tonya likes to tell it... she lost Bronze by 1/10 of a point and she knows it for a fact!!!

Nancy Kerrigan son (matthew solomon ) is an aspiring actor. If the producers of "I, Tonya" had the guts they should of offered him a part in the movie. Think of the publicity!

Skating experts agree that if Nancy and Tonya were equal and at their peak, Tonya is the better skater

R5, it seems lately and only lately that half the threads have somebody on them who comments that the person of interest is somebody they know, they knew, or who lives nearby.

R46 it doesn't take a skating expert to know that at their peak, Tonya was a better jumper than Nancy and Kristi... she was not however, a better skater.

DLers get around R47

R48 her spins were superior to Nancy and Kristi

R50, yeah no. Tonya could spin, sure.. but she didn't have any interesting positions nor did she hold any of them because she couldn't.

And having jumps and fast spins does not make a better skater. Trust me.

I love her after seeing the movie. She got a raw deal and shouldn't have become the laughing stock she did. We chewed her up and spat her out. American Culture is mean and gross.

[R47] I live in Bend. She lives in Sisters, fifteen miles away. How is that a shock? Not all DLers live in NYC or LA.

Tonya didn't get a raw deal. Tonya never worked hard and never took any responsibility for anything she ever did.

However, the Figure Skating community owe her a lot more than they give her... like that fucking Scott Hamilton bitching that she ruined the sport. I didn't see him complaining when he was cashing all those checks from the hundreds of skating shows and competitions that happened because of what Tonya did.

[quote]Yes [R28], the resemblance is much stronger. Or even Amy Ryan. Problem is, the Amys are too old.

The best likeness is Anna Faris.

Margot is a ridic casting, she can be Nancy though.

No, this is the Amy with the best resemblance of anyone mentioned.

Amy Schumer resembles the middle-aged Tonya, not the young.

What a mess

Tonya could have a much better skating career, possibly even being a contender at 2 Olympics, if she had only made better decisions and taken her training seriously. Instead she sabotaged herself again and again.

A friend of mine in LA saw the screener and was raving about it. From what I have heard, good buzz. always liked Tonya in a guilty pleasure kind of way.

Harding was a more athletic skater than Kerrigan, but that's it. Nancy is hated here, but she was far more the complete package than Tanya. Harding was her own worst enemy but would never take responsibility for that. She had tons of chances and blew them. And it's not like Kerrigan was born with a silver spoon - she was just as blue collar as Harding.

^Kerrigan is hated because she's a bitch but she was by far a better, more rounded skater than Harding. People also forget that Nancy had a lot of speed and her jumps were actually pretty good (she got a lot of air)... when she was actually landing and not popping them.

I hated Nancy's brown nose friend Paul Wylie more than her.

[quote]I love her after seeing the movie.

Then you need to see some interviews where she lies through her teeth and feels sorry for herself endlessly. Tonya has never taken any responsibility for any of her failures. The only thing she has ever admitted was that she had gained weight at one point and it was affecting her skating.

The only thing she has been consistent about is that nothing has ever been her fault.

It's funny that Nancy has the reputation of being a bitch, when figure skating is a pretty bitchy sport. She's hardly in the cunt league of Witt, Cohen, Gold or Lipinski.

Team Tonya. Always liked her. Hope she's happy and at peace. She could be full of deep down regret for a life that could have been. Hope she's doing okay.

I hated Nancy Kerigan. She swore at Mickey Mouse and then tried to cop of a feel of Pluto's Balls!

R39, I can't stop laughing.

On a recent holiday episode of Keeping up with the Kardashians, Kris Jenner had an early Christmas dinner with her daughters and, outside in Kris' backyard, skating alone on an ice rink, was Nancy Kerrigan! Kris took her grandchildren back there to surprise them, and they, of course, had no idea who Nancy was. Second-hand embarrassment for all viewers, I've no doubt. (And yes, I'm embarrassed to know this information.)

Tonya didn't miss much in the long run.

[quote]Tonya didn't miss much in the long run.

R69. Except a career, money and the pursuit of happiness.

I think the film paints too much a sympathetic portrait of Tonya, whose shortcomings as a skater and person are chalked up as mere products of her abusive upbringing, not her own personal choices. Sure, a lot of her dysfunction is rooted there, but the film conveniently glosses over and (in a sense) absolves Tonya of taking any personal responsibility regarding her own bad decisions that led to her infamy.

As a result, you walk away rooting for her, like she's some underdog or unsung hero whose been unjustly chewed up and spit out by society, when in reality she should be seen as a cautionary tale--someone to be pitied, not celebrated.

She is the Lindsay Lohan of skating. She grew up with shitty abusive parents, but had some innate talent that brought her fame and money. Instead of working hard to cultivate that talent, she slacked off and didn't train, despite numerous opportunities and second chances, continuing to make bad choices again and again...to the point where she literally plotted to physically harm (and even discussed possibly killing) her rival competitor.

It all sounds very campy on the surface (it's fucking figure skating), but these are the actions of a seriously fucked up individual. Nancy gets made fun of a lot, but I truly feel bad for her. Her legit assault is treated in jest today, but she really was a victim who went through hell that year in 1994. I'm amazed she made it to the Olympics at all, after getting attacked and then dealing with the insane media that turned her life upside down.

To now see this revisionist history of Tonya as some underdog must be annoying to say the least.

But I think it was inevitable. We're currently in this post-modern era of storytelling to reimagine all "villains" as misunderstood outcasts, with good intentions led astray...Wicked, Maleficent, and now Tonya Harding.

The Janney is the reason to see the film anyway.

I do smell something. Tonya's stank pussy.

Only rivaled by the asshole- she wipes with the cheap stuff.

R71 You said it sister. Fuck that cunt.

She should do a reality show with Debi Thomas. WEHT Oksana Baiul? Is she still an alcoholic?

Yessh and I smhoke too.

Oksana is a drunk and was a hooker for awhile. She also had a tough upbringing. I think she's married now. But she's amounted to literally nothing as an adult.

Nancy deserved the gold medal and only lost lost to Oksana by 1/10 of a point given by an Eastern European judge at a time when voting was HEAVILY influenced by politics, particularly among Eastern Europeans.

Nancy seems well grounded and considering she did nothing wrong except getting clubbed by a competitor's friend and making a few bitchy comments, I'm not sure why she gets any crap around here.

Rewatched the Tonya and Nancy 30 for 30 the other night and came away impressed by what a great athlete Nancy was -- her ability to come back from a potentially career-ending injury in 6 weeks and skate so well in the Olympics is quite an achievement that got lost in all the drama. Tonya remains an angry self-pitying mess.

Contrary to what people believe, Nancy is a nice person. Like a lot of skaters, she is somewhat of an introvert. Unfortunately this has affected her skating, with her critics calling her distant and unconnected to her programs. But she just gets overwhelmed by too much attention on her and as a result can be inappropriate. It’s shyness and being introverted. One on one, I’m told she’s a very nice lady. A bit of a tomboy too, in a sport which lives off of the Ice Princess Industrial Complex. Yeah, her hair is up in a bun, she’s wearing makeup and wearing a 10k Vera Wang gown, but she loves hockey, basketball and swears with the best of them. She’s not 1/10th of the cunt that Tonya, Katarina or even Kristi Yamaguchi is. And I have heard nasty stuff about Kristi, who was one of the most boring ladies on the ice. She’s also a Republican conservative bitch. Tonya is also on the right side of Center. And a bigot to boot. I know some people from FSU and Golden Skate who have told me this stuff. Fraud to be honest, but gay friendly and somewhat liberal. Tonya has been heard using the N word like it’s her job. Tara was overheard saying politically incorrect things about black and Asian skaters. And yes, Oksana has had problems with booze off and on. And The was basically hooking after Galina and Viktor Petrenko helped her to spend all of her money! She is a bit vulgar in appearance and dress, and while never a beauty, has really gotten uglier as she approaches middle age. Katarina may be bisexual or a full out lesbian, depending on who you ask. She was hooking up with Swiss skater Denise Biellmann, who invented the spin that bears her name.

[quote]She grew up with shitty abusive parents

Tonya's father was not abusive.

[quote]where she literally plotted to physically harm (and even discussed possibly killing) her rival competitor.

Tonya did not come up with the plot.

Tonya knew of the plot, but she failed to notify the authorities...

I used to hang around the skating crowd as a reporter and it's an insular world all of its own. Tonya was NEVER gonna be accepted, triple axel be damned. She and her team knew that and w hat transpired with whacking Nancy was sort on inevitable. Now if Kristi Yamaguchi decided to come back to the 94 games after a year of being pro with Stars on Ice things would have been very different in skating history. Nancy's dismal finish at the 93 Worlds allowing the US only 2 spots at the Ols convinced Kristi not to bother.

Sasha Cohen is also said to be a piece of work. Funny how quietly Michelle Kwan was able to get divorced...will we ever know the reason?

The whack on Nancy was stupid, because Nancy and Tonya would have both made the Olympic team anyway. There were no other contenders that year. Michelle Kwan was not really there yet, though she went as an alternate.

[quote]Nancy's dismal finish at the 93 Worlds allowing the US only 2 spots at the Ols convinced Kristi not to bother.

That actually should have encouraged Kristi to reinstate because she would have easily won a second Gold.

[quote]The whack on Nancy was stupid, because Nancy and Tonya would have both made the Olympic team anyway. There were no other contenders that year.

I remember at the time that Tonya was a real big "if" in making the Olympic team. She had done poorly the entire two years after Albertville. Getting rid of Nancy probably wasn't just about making the team also (in Tonya's mind) a way to make the podium.

[quote]It's funny that Nancy has the reputation of being a bitch, when figure skating is a pretty bitchy sport. She's hardly in the cunt league of Witt, Cohen, Gold or Lipinski.

The others were betting at hiding it than Nancy was.

[quote]Nancy deserved the gold medal and only lost lost to Oksana by 1/10

Really debatable. When it comes down to it, they rarely reward the skater that goes around and skates robotically, without any emotion, and as though she's doing a job rather than enjoying it.... just ask Kwan.

*better at

[quote]Do I smell a comeback?

What about my comeback? I played her first and I didn't actually do any of this shit for real! At least put this on the Blu-ray or something.

What about my movie?

ZOLA BUDD TRIPPED ME during an actual Olympic event!

The whole world saw what that cunt did!

True story I watched that Zola Budd/Mary Decker race at the 84 Ols with my grandmother who felt sorry for that poor British (she was really South African?) girl because she couldn't afford a pair of shoes. Why didn't someone lend her shoes?

And what has Tonya done to develop some alternative of a career? With her athletic background, maybe go back to school and become a PE teacher, a physical therapist? Go into any alternative training, and become a veterinarian, acupuncturist, office manager?

Doing anything positive with her life? No, too much easier to play the repeat "it wasn't my fault" song for decades.

"She should do a reality show with Debi Thomas. WEHT Oksana Baiul? Is she still an alcoholic?"

Yes, ex-skaters living in a house together. I'd watch. Though, I don't think production would last long, since real conflict would ensure quickly

They'd have to have Surya

Just saw a Tonya interview on Inside Edition. They showed her in a McMansion with her husband. Is she really living in a motel?

That interview was from 2012.

Those who think Nancy deserved the gold need to re-watch the clips of the finals. We Americans were all so absorbed on the rivalry that we forgot about the outside competition. Oksana was both technically proficient and energetic, as well as docile and artistic, rendering a performance of Swan Lake that compared to any prima ballerina's. Her turns were amazing and her turn-out (grace with her feet) made you forget she had clunky skates on. Nancy wasn't ever that great at pointing her feet and Tonya plowed like a bulldozer.

Oksana was both stellar and sublime that night, and she very much deserved the gold. No robotic power-performance there. That would be rewarded later in the Lipinsky vs. Kwan year.

so....she had no access to a stylist?

R95, Oksana had the better short program (the Swan Lake one), but Nancy had the better long. Nancy's jumps were technically perfect and Oksana had a 2 footed landing, wobbles and a sketchy entry into a flip. I think Nancy should have won gold and I was long over the rivalry except that I didn't think they should have let Tonya compete.

^Forgot to add, I also think if Lu Chen hadn't put her hand down on her last jump, she should have gotten silver. Everyone forgets Lu Chen's bronze routine from that night but it was fucking excellent.

R97 did have a problem on her double axel. Her program was more challenging than Baiul's though. Baiul didn't even do a triple triple. But again, Kerrigan had no passion on the ice and was boring. The judges weren't going to reward her for that.

Plus they probably punished her to skating to a Neil Fucking Diamond medley... a recycled program at that.

R98 Chen Lu really could have been a great. I often wonder if things would have been different for her if she hadn't been robbed of her second World Title.

Didn't the Chinese skating association freak out when she was getting too big of a taste of North American life or am I misremembering that? It seemed like she was getting a lot of attention and press and then she disappeared for awhile and had to make a comeback.

I loved Oksaana. I was a huge fan, but she didn't deserve to win the gold based on her long program costume alone. Bleeeccchhh! It was awful

[quote]I loved Oksaana. I was a huge fan, but she didn't deserve to win the gold based on her long program costume alone. Bleeeccchhh! It was awful

Well, Nancy didn't deserve to win based on her teeth alone!!!!

But going back to Chen Lu, yes something happened in the year after the 96 Worlds and 97 Worlds. If I remember correctly, her Federation gave her a different coach. I don't know if there was a falling out between Lu and her coach or if the Government wanted to more strictly control her training. Regardless, her showing at the 97 Worlds was awful and she was unable to qualify a spot to the Olympics at that event.

Chen Lu update

^And she married a WHITE guy... one that I always assumed was gay.

Thanks for the link r103. Good read. She looks great, too.

She’s 47? Wow.

Can Tonya still do triple axels?

[quote]Can Tonya still do triple axels?

Tonya hasn't been able to do a triple axel since 1991.

R99 "did have a problem on her double axel."

You mean Nancy in the long? Not really. Her landing wasn't as rock steady a on the rest of the jumps, but it was nothing that should have cost her any technical marks. Oksana had 2 or 3 jumps that were much less steady.

Something horrible was going on with Lu Chen in 1996-7. Her skating had gone to shit and she was an emotional wreck. I just posted in the TV tearjerkers thread about her amazing moment in 1998 at Nagano when she broke down in tears on the ice after pulling off a great performance. Then she bowed down on the floor to her coach as she got off the ice.

R108 she was occasionally doing them in practice up to 1994, but in true Tonya form she'd stop for a smoke break after instead of finishing her fucking routine.

[quote]Oksana had 2 or 3 jumps that were much less steady.

And yet the US Judge still gave the technical edge to Oksana, ha.

Speaking of Nagano... how the hell was Maria Butraskaya even a medal contender? Bitch didn't even have a combo in her program.

Maria Butyrskaya bitched to anyone who would listen that she wasn't getting enough attention in Nagano.

[quote]Tonya hasn't been able to do a triple axel since 1991.

She continued to do them up through 1994 as noted above. The triple axel was her trump card. I think only Midori was also doing them back then. In all the hullaballoo between the 1994 U.S. Nationals and the Olympics, when members of the press attended Tonya's every practice in Oregon, she did them to show off. I think there was one practice session where she fired off 5 triple axels, one after another, while landing them all cleanly.

Oksana cast a spell over the judges, particularly by using her long arms and hand positions, and was pretty much a sure thing to win the Olympics after wowing them at the 1993 Worlds.

[quote]I think there was one practice session where she fired off 5 triple axels, one after another, while landing them all cleanly.

Never happened.

As for Oksana's Swan Lake short program, the best part is when she did the ballet turns (pirouette) on the tips of her skates.

And don't forget... Oksana skated after that collision that morning and stitches in her leg!

Actually, my favorite part about that crash was Katarina picking up both their asses off the ass and basically telling them to get on with it.

Wait, is this accurate?

I just saw something that stated that Mirai Nagasu is only the second US Woman to have landed the triple axel in competition when she did so back in September. I thought that Kimmie Meisner (however you spell it) had done it?

No other American has landed it in the 26 years since Tonya did?

Why can't a core of women master the triple axle? Men eventually mastered quads, to the point where it's standard that multiple competitors in every big competition will have a quad or multiple quads.

The points system since 2004 makes the 3A not worth it. Axels take more upper body strength and the training it takes to master them takes away from time to master other point grabbing skills. Women will start mastering quads (except the Axel) before 3As because points-wise it's a better investment.

I always had a soft spot for tonya.

R119, I think Meissner's only done it in US competition, not international.

Interesting, R123. The way it was written made it sound like no other American had landed it since Harding.

"(Nagasu) the 2010 Olympian joined Harding as the only American women to land the jump in September of this year at the U.S. International Figure Skating Classic."

[quote]Never happened.

Well she did 3 beautiful triple axels in practice at the 94 Nationals, so I can believe it happened.

Anyone who believes she wasn't the "brains" behind the assault is an idiot. Gullible enough to have voted Trump or not vote at all.

Tonya always landed her jumps gracelessly, like a ton o' bricks. If she were practicing on a frozen pond her big ass would have crashed through the ice. It made it more fun to laugh at her when she fell 'cause you know she felt it hard on her fat stinky ass. Yes, she had that ass funk look to her.

Even if she had come from old money nothing would fix that harsh appearance, and her tendency to show too much emotion on that homely dog face. She looks upset, give her some dry kibble and a margarine container full of water. My sister even named her Australian Shepherd dog after her.

I came to root for her as the much maligned underdog, place emphasis on the appropriate syllable, but her technically good skates were grotesque. She made Surya Bonal look graceful. I rooted for her too.

And notice in the clip at R125, she practices no elements leading up to the jump, completes the jump, and then stops skating to enjoy the applause. No wonder she couldn't do it anymore during an actual routine where she had to do other stuff too.

I always wanted Soraya Bonaly to win gold but the judges hated her muscular style.

Which is harder a triple axel or a quad toe? I was always surprised neither Midori or Tonya had a quad and that Surya didn't attempt the triple axel.

[quote]I always wanted Soraya Bonaly to win gold but the judges hated her muscular style.

No the judges hated that she couldn't actually skate.

[quote]No the judges hated that she couldn't actually skate.

That was such a bummer. From what I read that was because the crazy mother thought she knew better than everyone so Surya could never get consistent coaching.

All the quads have higher point values than the triple Axel. But how difficult they are for individual skaters depends on their body type and other factors. Kristi Yamagucci could land a solid 3L-3T, still the hardest combo performed among the women, but had trouble with the Salchow related to her early training as a pairs skater, even though the Salchow is one of the easier jumps. Women have a tougher time with Axels in general (which is why they are only required to do a double while the men are required to to a triple) because of the leg, core and upper body strength it takes to hoist your body into the air going forward and then pull your arms in tight enough to complete the full rotations.

I remember Tonya saying growing up chopping wood is what gave her the strength to do the 3A (or maybe someone said it about her). Midori Ito had some kind of bowl-leg or wide hip issue that enabled her. Other women have landed them, but those 2 are the only ones to do it with textbook landings and real height.

Poor Surya, she was so badass and charismatic, but she could never put it all together when it counted. She had the opposite problem as Tonya--I think she overtrained and pushed herself too hard. I always felt like she and Irina Slutskaya were practically killing themselves on the ice.

Remember Tonya's crying fit over untied skates?

[quote]I think there was one practice session where she fired off 5 triple axels, one after another, while landing them all cleanly. Never happened.

Baloney. I'll try to dig up he newspaper article.

[quote] related to her early training as a pairs skater, even though the Salchow is one of the easier jumps.

That was all in Kristi's head. She's admitted as much.

[quote]She had the opposite problem as Tonya--I think she overtrained and pushed herself too hard.

Too bad she never pushed herself hard enough to actually learn how to skate! I love how her foot sequences were her basically running across the ice.

Surya could skate -- sometimes. No, not that gracefully, but she could put together nice jumps and fast spins and some okay choreography into a decent whole. She was a 3-time world silver medalist and 5-time European champion. That wouldn't happen if she couldn't skate at all. Yes, she was very inconsistent, and at times she could be pretty bad , but her highs were fairly good.

[quote]but she could put together nice jumps

Weren't her entries always atrocious and wouldn't she practically come to a complete stop when she landed? It's been years since I've seen her.

Surya was an excellent skater, but something about Worlds and especially the Olympics made her so tense and frigid she'd tighten up and push herself too hard. When she could just relax and enjoy herself you could see just how skilled and creative she was. Stuff like this is why audiences LOVED her:

Surya should've won Worlds in 1993.

R136, of course it was. The point is why skaters can or can't do something isn't just about the objective difficulty of the skill.

Obviously, R142.

If any of you are bored enough.

Surya Bonaly was the Grace Jones of the ice.

Now compare R140 with her Olympic long program, same year. She starts out great but quickly tenses up and she's trying so hard she can barely hold her positions. She seems like a totally different skater.

I don't think comparing a skater's exhibition or show pieces to their competition pieces works. Let's watch one of her worlds performances.

[quote]Baloney. I'll try to dig up he newspaper article.

It was already established upthread with video that she could land several triples as long as that’s all she had to do. Skate to prepare herself to jump, jump, land, stop to take in applause and then repeat is not exactly impressive.

R145, was that supposed to be an insult? Because it isn't.

Hell no—I fucking loved her!

She really loved this program, didn't she?

And yeah, I can see why the judges hated her skating. That way she squares off before jumping and she does basically stop after each jump. I wonder if that was her mom's doing... as mentioned upthread, just thinking she knew better and so she'd spend more time training the jumps rather than using that time to fix her skating and technique.

This is the 1993 program that deserved gold.

R145/R150, ha, good!

R147, my point is she had the skills, but that she couldn't always pull them together for competition. And never at the Olympics.

But here's the same routine a year prior at Worlds, with a much better performance. She absolutely was a great skater, when she could pull it together. And she sure as shit was a better skater than Tonya.

I'm no skating expert, but Tonya just looked awful on the ice. That hair! Those costumes! The attitude!

Sorry, disagree... what you do on the ice, during competition matters. And if you can't put it together in competition... well... then...

R152, she didn't always do that though. I think that happened when she was overtrained. She was so strong she didn't need much speed going into jumps, so if she was relying too much on her strength instead of speed to go into one, she wouldn't have much momentum coming out of one. But her style was usually to do sort of a flip with her landing skate to turn around and change direction after landing, while keeping good speed.

She was so bothered by her 1993 season (which was excellent, but she won silver at Worlds and that seemed to really get to her) that I think she just went overboard for 1994 and worked herself to the point where she was a slab of muscle on 2 blades.

^Yeah so again, she should have spent more time training how to actually skate. I find it hard to believe that none of the judges ever told her what she needed to change in order to medal. I assume her mother either kept it from her or just ignored it all.

Funny fact about Surya... her inspiration to skate came from QUEEN Janet! She watched the episode of Good Times when Penny could have been a champion ice skater and it inspired her! Surya tried to emulate Janet's amazing dance skills on the ice and when she was in-between coaches, Janet stepped in to train her. Surya says she owes everything she's ever accomplished to Janet.

Slay Queen!

R158 is pressed, hunty.

^Is PRESSED AF!

Tonya Harding’s Mom on Estranged Relationship With Her Daughter: ‘She Hates Me’ and they haven't spoken in 15 years

I can't believe LaVona Golden is still alive

An old friend and Surya fan saw her live in one of those Stars on Ice show a few years ago, and he got her autograph at the meet-and-greet. Not many people had been approaching her, and she was suspicious: "Why do you want MY autograph?" So he fangurled out and told her she was the shit, and then she warmed up to him.

Surya was a fun and exciting skater but her mother Suzanne was creepy and controlling.

[quote] I always felt sorry for Tonya.

She certainly deserves your pity!!

I loved Surya because she was so bad ass. She practiced her back flip while Ito was attempting triple axels at Albertville. The Japanese media blamed Surya for Midori missing the axel in her short. I guess Karma and Japan got her when she lost to Sato in Japan at the 94 Worlds.

^No, Karma first got her when she made a fool of herself all over the ice in her home country during the freeskate.

Surya did not make a fool of herself in Albertville. All the top women had falls except Kristi. Surya attempted a QUAD. And she almost had it, just landed about a quarter turn short. For 20 years no other woman even tried one in competition and then Miki Ando landed one.

The crowd was angry at Surya's low technical marks.

Fucking idiot Tom Hammond starts her commentary with her "exotic" background.

"The best likeness is Anna Faris"

THREAD CLOSED

Surya Bonaly was the cunt to end all cunts. During a practice session she did a back flip (illegal in performance) almost on top of Midori Ito, spooking her so bad that in her next performance she took a fall on a jump that she would never have missed. At a competition where she didn't come in first she stood on the podium with the other winners and pouted and puffed and ripped her medal off. A cunt through and through.

Is Jeff Gillooley related to Edna Rae Gillooley?

Surya totally made a fool out of herself. Her mother told her that they'd all laugh at her... and they did!!!

Surya made a fool of herself with her hideous, jerky skating

Surya also didn't shave her underarms.

Kristi fell out of her triple loop, her ass never touched the ice but it was a still a big miss.

[quote]Mary Decker

Mary Decker had a countenance that said "punch me".

Mary Decker. I know gays aren't as interested in or knowledgeable about the wold of long distance running, but a lot of shit goes on and there's all sorts of personalities, including a lot of awful ones.

That whole Mary Decker/Zola Budd situation was pretty epic back in the day.

The main thing in Harding's favor is that Nancy Kerrigan turned out to be a cunty little bitch that most people wouldn't like if they knew her. If Kerrigan had been a nicer person things would have gone much harder for Tonya and this movie probably would have never been made.

Tonya grew up white trash. And sadly probably never had been taught by her parents how to persevere and stay with the program to get what she apparently wanted at one time. Then she married the even worse white trash Gillooly and things went downhill from there. When kids grow up with that kind of upbringing and associate with others outside the family who have no good home training you can't expect much good out of them ultimately.

Kerrigan has put this behind her. She doesn't talk about it and has moved on with her life. Can't say I blame her.

[quote]Kerrigan has put this behind her. She doesn't talk about it and has moved on with her life. Can't say I blame her.

Has she? Didn't she just come out last month and bitch that she'd never gotten an apology from Tonya?

[quote]Kristi fell out of her triple loop, her ass never touched the ice but it was a still a big miss.

And yet it was still better than any of those other cunts could manage!

If I were Nancy, I'd be PISSED that Hollywood was shining a sympathetic light on the person whose entourage assaulted her and nearly took away her lifelong dreamt that she had been pursuing for years.

^I think Nancy has a lot of other things on her mind. Like her brother.

[quote] Her coaches said she could have been the world's greatest female skater

She wasn't graceful. She may have been able to do more difficult jumps (or what ever they call them), but her routines lacked a certain something (grace). She was too athletic. She was rough looking off the rink and on the rink

But I still liked her better than Nancy Kerrigan. She was a real bitch

[quote]But I still liked her better than Nancy Kerrigan. She was a real bitch

What's funny about them is how similar they actually were. We all know that they both came from trash backgrounds, etc. But while Tonya got a lot of shit for not being able to play the part... Nancy wasn't really ever able to play the part either. While they could dress her up and she could LOOK the part, she couldn't act it. People were turned off by her because she couldn't cover up her cold, bitchy, attitude.

Not sure that Nancy is cold and bitchy as much as she is just introverted. The real bitch from that era is Yamaguchi.

^Keep trying it, Brenda. Nancy is exactly as she comes off, cold, arrogant, and a cunt! Yamaguchi is bland, milquetoast.

[quote]What's funny about them is how similar they actually were.

Except Tonya was a criminal thug who almost ruined the Olympic chances of a competitor because she wanted to wipe out the competition rather than train like the "greatest female skater" her fans keep insisting she was. Please.

She didn't think like a champion, she didn't train like a champion, and she didn't win like a champion. At least she's got her self-pity to keep her warm at night at the Motel 6.

Nancy hardly came from a trash background. Her father was a welder so she was working class but her parents were married for 40+ years and did everything they could to encourage her success. Her father worked lots of part time jobs to support her skating. Clearly it wasn't a perfect family but nothing like how Tonya grew up.

Nancy was reserved and maybe dressed a bit like a princess but that's the sport and how most of the girls looked. Tonya was the anomaly.

[quote] and she didn't win like a champion.

Neither did Nancy.

[quote]Nancy hardly came from a trash background.

Ask her brother about that one.

[quote]Except Tonya was a criminal thug who almost ruined the Olympic chances of a competitor because she wanted to wipe out the competition rather than train like the "greatest female skater" her fans keep insisting she was. Please.

Did she fuck a married man?

Yeah, they really were both trash. It's just that one couldn't be bothered to hide it.

The person upthread forgot to mention that they both skated to horrendous music. One just chose trashier music than the other. One skated to Neil Diamond the other skated to the Batman Soundtrack. You decide.

Nancy being a bitch (starting at the 5:34 mark).

[quote]If I were Nancy, I'd be PISSED that Hollywood was shining a sympathetic light on the person whose entourage assaulted her and nearly took away her lifelong dreamt that she had been pursuing for years.

R183. Yeah, you're kind of right, but there's no there there with Nancy. The story is Tonya. And Tonya had a right to feel a little bit bitter in the early '90s when Nancy and Kristi were getting the endorsements and she was getting nothing. Long before the scandal Tonya was the 1991 U.S. champion and 1991 World Championship silver medalist. Harding was also a two-time Olympian and a two-time Skate America Champion.

It's not like Tonya didn't have the credentials. She was quite accomplished. She just didn't have the pedigree, so it was always an uphill image problem for Tonya. Of course when the scandal broke in 1994, her lower class image was a huge determent.

[quote]And Tonya had a right to feel a little bit bitter in the early '90s when Nancy and Kristi were getting the endorsements and she was getting nothing.

Did she have a right? Not really. Remember, Kristi was only getting endorsements AFTER she won the Olympics and even then, the only major endorsement she got was with Durasoft. Nancy got more endorsements as a Bronze Medalist than Kristi did as a Gold medalist.

Additionally, Tonya only became a two-time Olympian after the scandal and therefore was of course already damaged goods to sponsors. Further, a lot of Olympians and World Medalists go without endorsements. What endorsements did Debi Thomas have? I'm sure she had one or two.. but she was a World Champion and Olympic medalists... so for Tonya to really expect any endorsements for her accomplishments, which didn't really match what others had done, is sort of ridiculous.

Also winning Skate America means a big nothing to the general public and therefore sponsors as well.

Ha! Kristi wasn't getting the endorsements as Ol Gold medalist that Kerrigan got for her sketchy Bronze in 92. Kristi never lost to Nancy through their amateur/pro careers too. And while I'm at it that plastic bitch Michelle Kwan who never turned pro - because she didn't have to with eligibility changes from the ISU - earned all those Nat and World titles when the Kristis and Yukas of the world stayed pro. The pro world was always so much more interesting back then. Michelle copied the blueprint of Kristi's programs to a tee but still had the nerve to say her idol was Tonya!!!

Kristi probably would have kicked Kwan's ass through 96 if she had continued competing. I believe Kristi was still doing triple-triple combos in Pro meets and Kwan basically doing them never.

When the hell did Michelle say her idol was Tonya?? Their styles are totally different. Also I seriously doubt that Kristi would have kicked Kwan's ass. Michelle was way more consistent in her jumps while Yamaguchi always struggled with her Salchow, which is one of the simplest jumps.

Harding didn't get any endorsements because she skated like a trucker. She was well aware of her image and did NOTHING about it, which is her right. But at at the same time, why feel sorry for her? She made her choice, which was to be a lazy slob.

Tonya didn't get endorsements because she had never won shit (besides a World Medal, which nobody cares about).

Michelle said early on in her skating career that Tonya was her idol. A lot of skaters did because of Tonya's jumping ability.

And yes, Kristi would have kicked Michelle's ass because while the salchow was a weak jump for her, she could pull of triple triples, most notably the triple lutz, triple toe. Kwan couldn't.

Agree, R199. I believe Michelle once indicated that Oksana Baiul was her inspiration.

Had Kristi stuck around for the 94 Olympics (as luck would have it, only two years after her gold medal in Albertville), she would’ve been the one to beat. Michelle wasn’t ready yet. Plus, had Kristi kept competing during the 1993 season, the U.S would’ve likely had three, not two, Olympic slots in 1994. No one ever talks about Nancy’s abysmal performance at the 1993 World Championships.

Wasn't it Michelle's dad who tried to bring attention and start the negative campaign on Tara for "flutzing," and it backfired because people started noticing that Michelle flutzed too?

[quote]No one ever talks about Nancy’s abysmal performance at the 1993 World Championships.

You mean that gorgeous (sarcasm) program to Beauty and the Beast?

I remember reading a Sports Illustrated article covering that competition and they referred to Nancy's skating as the beast.

Kwan absolutely used to cite Harding as her idol. I remember them talking about it at Nationals and (I think) the Olympic Festival.

My favorite fallen princes is the Nicole Bobek one. Talk about someone who could have had it all. Isn't she like a circus clown now? In between her public service hours?

Fuck you, R205.

Nicole a circus clown? GTFO.

I'll have yo uknow Nicole also happily worked concessions at a skating rink.

Harding is a train wreck, always was, always will be. There's always an audience for someone like that. If I were Nancy Kerrigan, I'd probably be pissed that there's a movie about Harding where she's made out to be a sympathetic figure. Harding is a criminal; she took part in the attack on Kerrigan that almost derailed her skating career. Yes, I'd be plenty pissed that Harding is now considered "the belle of the ball."

But I I were Nancy I'd try to find a way to roll with it. $$$$$$

Jesus, I forgot Bobek was at the Olympics competing with Tara, Michelle, and Chen Lu. She seemed like of a completely different time in my head.

Nicole in better days.

I was at the Olympics too! Wasn’t I?

I saw the movie in LA. Morgot Robbie spoke for 15 minutes after the showing. The movie is hilarious. Robbie and Janning will get Oscar noms for their respective roles as Tonya and LaVona (Tonya's mom).

Thanks, R24. I was going to skip it, however, your recommendation changed my mind.

Just like Harding, Bowman was also a two-time Olympian... and a total mess.

Wasn't he in the bathroom blowing Boitano when he was announced Olympic Champ?

[quote]I think the film paints too much a sympathetic portrait of Tonya, whose shortcomings as a skater and person are chalked up as mere products of her abusive upbringing, not her own personal choices.

Absolutely not true. The film repeatedly shows her making bad choices, questions her side of the story, and makes fun of her claiming nothing is her fault.

Just because it doesn't say 100% of everything is her fault doesn't mean it's sympathetic. Pay more attention next time.

[quote]And Tonya had a right to feel a little bit bitter in the early '90s when Nancy and Kristi were getting the endorsements and she was getting nothing

Companies give athletes endorsements because the athlete helps the company sell their product. It's not a present or a reward, it's pure commerce. If Tonya didn't want to play the game and polish up her garbage image that was her right, but she has nothing to be bitter about. She made her own bed.

A good example of her sabotaging herself is when she was interviewed after her national win. She was asked what she was thinking about heading into the Olympics. She answered, dollar signs. Keep it classy, trailer trash.

It's sort of ironic that the whole clubbing of Kerrigan was essentially a plot to get Tonya $$$$ and yet it was everyone else in the sport who was able to cash in and Tonya was left waiting tables like her mother.

A lot of what made her image "garbage" was really just classist bullshit and nothing of any substance.

Tonya's biggest issues were emotional, which made it easy for her to get psyched out before a performance, and to say what was on her mind instead of some polite nothing of a soundbite. Let's be honest: everyone was thinking dollar signs, she was just the only one to say it out loud.

Lord knows what any of them were thinking with the kneecapping crap, though. Cruel and bizarre. And she's not the best liar in the world -- her immediate reaction was not one of guilt but of cluelessness, and I wouldn't be surprised if she wasn't involved but still happy it happened.

[quote] Let's be honest: everyone was thinking dollar signs, she was just the only one to say it out loud.

Who gives a shit what the athletes are really thinking? You want to get those endorsements, you play the game.

This whole thing happened when I was in high school. I went to school, and was good friends, with someone who looked EXACTLY like Nancy. Every now and then we'd walk by her and whack her with a ruler. She'd start screaming "WHY ME WHY ME". I know you had to be there and be that age but it was funny as hell. I mean the girl looked exactly like Nancy.

Too bad Tonya couldn't get an endorsement deal with a ciggie company. I used to love seeing her in the kiss and cry sucking on her inhaler.

Spitting image of mom.

Who is the audience for this movie supposed to be? I can't imagine anyone actually paying good money to see this movie.

R221 his curly hair is sexy af, but he inherited his mom’s horse face. Pity.

I think he’s really cute.

R221...I think he's cute too. But he needs to straighten that Jheri curl, stat.

I don't mind it. I think it would look better shorter though.

R220 that is hilarious! Did I mention I love the name LaVona? I went to school near a village called Livonia. We would always say, "Livonia get your black ass over her girl!"

I think the real life Tonya and Nancy should play Baby Jane and Blanche, respectively in a PBS performance of Whatever Happened to Baby Jane.

[quote]Surya Bonaly was the cunt to end all cunts. ... At a competition where she didn't come in first she stood on the podium with the other winners and pouted and puffed and ripped her medal off.

Atta girl!

[quote]Just like Harding, Bowman was also a two-time Olympian... and a total mess. Wasn't he in the bathroom blowing Boitano when he was announced Olympic Champ?

Olympic champ in what? Blowing? He was never Olympic champ in skating.

Or did you mean when Boitano was announced Olympic Champ?

Didn't Nancy's brother kill their father a few years ago? Sounds like a certified trash family to me.

WHY??

Kerrigan seems rather dykeish in that video at 194.

Kerrigan's 70 year old father died during a fight with her brother. They were fighting over the use of the telephone (sounds like a grade A trashy family to me). The brother was acquitted of manslaughter but found guilty of assault and battery. He was sentenced to 2½ years in prison with six months suspended. Nancy and her mother claimed that the father died from long term heart disease and stood by the brother.

The orienta looked so disgusted. Tonya was chin up tits out that day.

[quote]Who is the audience for this movie supposed to be? I can't imagine anyone actually paying good money to see this movie.

Are you kidding? Look at this thread! 237 replies to a thread about a bunch of has-been skaters from over 20 years ago! These bitches remember every fall on the ice like it happened yesterday! They'll be camped out overnight to see this movie.

Suuuuuuuuuuuuuure they will, r238.

R239, Stop allowing yourself to be influenced by Wendy Williams' messy ass. All those high profile court cases and entertainment stories from the 90's are hot right now. I'd rather watch a Tonya Harding or Amy Fisher black comedy biopic over all the current big budget releases any day.

"Didn't Nancy's brother kill their father a few years ago? Sounds like a certified trash family to me."

Have a fucked up family member doesn't make a family "white trash", you idiot.

Why ?

What's it all about, Alfie ?

My impression of Tonya back then is of a hugely arrogant, pigheaded, very ugly woman. No waist, no looks, stupid smile, ratty hair, graceless - a real mess.

Comeback ?

She's that Janet Jackson of the hockey rink.

Robbe gave Tonya a weird Mid-western accent.

[quote]My impression of Tonya back then is of a hugely arrogant, pigheaded, very ugly woman. No waist, no looks, stupid smile, ratty hair, graceless - a real mess.

She does have a weird smile. A writer once described it as a "wolfish grin" and that stayed with me, because it was so accurate.

The scene when Dianne comes back to coach her was weird. I don't know why they decided to fictionalize that account.

Just saw it. Margot did a good job but not a great job. I think she's someone who needs to hone her craft more. She's not quite selling me in any role yet but I really see potential as her career advances. I did not like the second act of the movie.

I really like the movie, it actually made me cry to realize the abuse she endured even when she was just tiny thing. I also expect that the Skating Federation, her instructors and coaches knew about it and ignored it. They just wrote it a Off as “those white trash people>’

Team Tonya, recently a sports writer described her as “the most powerful jumper of her generation, in fact still the strongest jumper of them all.” She was an athlete that just wanted to win, she was already a global competitor she didnt need to literally maim another player. Yes she knew the stupid idiot white guys were up to something but I sincerely doubt she would rush her career for some idiot physical attack. Emotional attacks, verbal attacks yeah sure. Not for one minute do I think she wanted that those idiots were planning - SHE still had to function in that world and she loved every minute of her skating career.

[quote]recently a sports writer described her as “the most powerful jumper of her generation, in fact still the strongest jumper of them all.”

Whoever said that was a moron because it isn't even remotely true. Everyone knows Tonya couldn't hold a candle to Midori Ito so why even bother with that lie?

She should have done speed-skating, that's where an athlete without finesse, prospers.

Did she vote for Trump or Hillary?

I see an Odd Couple style reality show with Tonya Harding and Courtney Love.

"Love is Whack"

Did anyone ever find that "article" that cites Tonya pulling off five triple axels in a row? lol.

Hey. I saw the movie and the most important scene in that fucking movie, and the one that seemed to just slip past a lot of people is the one where Tonya confronts the judge about her score, and he TELLS her it's not just about the skating, it's about image and she is trash.

This was pretty early in her career too. She was young and it was devastating. And to reinforce that, later, when she got sentenced, they totally robbed her of her ability to ever compete again, OK I get that.. But that wasn't enough. They told her she could NEVER skate again. Not as a performer either.

They literally robbed her of her livleihood. Skating was literally all she knew and they piled on and buried her. She was so young when that happened. I feel very sorry for her.

Neither she nor Kerrigan were ever going to set the world on fire as figure skaters. Tonya was a better skater than Kerrigan. But neither one was a Dorothy Hamill. Neither was ever going to be a "brand" with a haircut named after them. Figure skating is very popular, and neither could have been top dollar personalities.

Problem with her story, R255. She can't name one competition where they DIDN'T give her the scores she deserved. In fact, looking at how they scored her in Albertville, it seems pretty clear that judges WOULD score her high enough, sometimes OVERSCORING her. So her claim that the judges held a biased against her doesn't hold water.

New song from Sufjan Stevens.

Tonya Harding is Roxie hart

I saw that Sufjan Stevens song yesterday (it's not exactly new). I laughed at how ridiculous it was.

Tonya would have fared better under today's scoring system where it's mainly about racking up points for each technical element you complete.

The USFSA banning her for life was ridiculous overkill. Her competitive career was ending anyway, and her pro career had little chance since she had few medals and no international wins. They were just trying to make themselves look better by doing that to her.

Well if the movie is even halfway accurate, Tonya's mother did an awful lot to sabotage her career in it's infancy for the regional competitions, with her unsportsmanlike behavior and her attitude and interactions with the other skaters. The coaches and parents and others certainly knew the Harding reputation before Tonya had a chance.

So Tonya, at most, conspired with, but at the very least (admittedly) covered up for someone who tried to take out and end another skater's career permanently. What would have been a suitable punishment?

What you are smelling is the cunt of a psychopath.

Who said it was the USFSA's duty or responsibility to punish Tonya?

Tonya was at the table with some of the cast and crew of "I, Tonya" at the Golden Globe Awards and was shown on camera a few times.

So a sports governing body doesn't have a right to implement its own rules and decide whether or not they want to allow an athlete to participate in its own events?

Excuse her for living. She's not Anita Bryant.

I think you confused "belle" for "laide".

R261, except she didn't. Tonya had a lot of positive buzz in the late 80s. Everyone knew she was working on the 3A and excited because she was one of the few who could actually pull it off (then of course she did). I remember Dick Buttons in particular was really impressed by her and very enthusiastic when commenting on her programs. Scott Hamilton of course always pulled his "known more for her athletic ability than artistry" line, but he divided all the skaters that way.

[quote]Well if the movie is even halfway accurate

It's amazing that anyone would think this movie is even halfway accurate. It's primarily based on two people, who have repeatedly tell contradictory stories to the ones they've told, in some cases, just weeks prior. The movie even starts off saying how the stories are contradictory and pieced together.

Further, this is Tonya's version of events... Tonya who can seemingly never take responsibility for anything that she's ever done... of course she's going to say LaVona had a bigger influence on her image than Tonya herself did.

*who repeatedly tell

I don't know why people hate on Nancy...she wore her heart on her sleeve and is a big old introvert...not everyone is meant to be in front of a camera telling all of their business. By all accounts most people who have met or know her say she's reclusively shy. Not mean or snotty, shy. Tonya, OTOH, is so obnoxious and trifling. Do you know that she was heard calling Surya Bonaly the N word at a Skate America comp back when she was competing? That she had the raw talent but lacked a true work ethic? That she was promiscuous and picked fights with others? The only ones who support her are the ones that are just like her - trailer park, redneck white trash. Of course you're going to take her side, you're just like this cunt, most of you anyway. Enjoy the lowlife while you can...

Tell us how you really feel, Brenda at R272!

Tonya was raised in a toxic environment and then married a batterer. I can completely understand why she may have reacted as she did according to what she told interviewers later on. That she may have had some sense Jeff might do something wrong, but she had no involvement or knowledge of the plot and the attack. Just that "something might happen."

When you consider how she was raised, and the violence and lack of any moral compass from her own mother from the time she was a toddler, and then her husband, I can absolutely understand her reaction. As for them banning her from competing, the judge went way overboard with her. She could have been banned for two years. And no way did they have to ban her from ever skating again, which is what they did in or out of competition. Just close your eyes and pretend Tonya Harding was a white male born to a white middle class polite humble family in...Arizona. See?

There is something about Tonya that reminds me of young Mike Tyson. Both grew up hard, both were really unsocialized according to normal socialization and normal behavior, and their skill was the only thing keeping them functioning.

So essentially, Tonya, and others just like her, should bear no responsibility for anything they do because they were raised in abusive and/or toxic environments.

And, I like Tonya. I prefer her over Kerrigan, but I think it's ridiculous to say that the USFSA didn't have a right to ban her for life. Those are their events and if they don't want her involved because 1) it would destroy their image 2) other skaters won't skate with her, etc. That's their right.

She wasn't banned from skating. She could go to any rink she wanted to skate if she really loved it so much. She also wasn't banned from making money from skating.. she just couldn't do it at an USFSA event. If Tonya had been smart, she would have taken herself to Japan and made a shitload of money over there.

Love her and love that Janney gave her a shout out at the Globes.

R275 Why would she have made money in Japan? I agree with you about USFSA having the right to ban her. I think what some people don't get is that USFSA doesn't control all skating events. They are the governing body for the Olympic eligible skaters. They have nothing to do with Stars on Ice, Ice Capades, Disney on Ice or any number of ice shows. There were also televised pro competitions with prize money. These were for post Olympic eligible skaters. As I recall there were skaters who did well in pro competitions that had been middling eligible skaters. USFSA didn't govern these competitions. Tonya wasn't officially banned from any of pro skating events. It's just that no one wanted to deal with her crazy shit. If Nancy hadn't been attacked, Tonya would have been able to make a living as a pro skater. She wouldn't have been the star of any of the big shows, but she would have worked.

R277 because Ice Shows have always been big in Japan and they would have overlooked her shady past because they're into the spectacle of that kind of shit. Also, frankly, if she had wanted to continue skating because she loved it so much (she didn't) she could have also gone to some lesser known country and skated for them. I'm sure they would have had her! Uzbekistan, maybe?

If she was that much of a go getter r278, she wouldn't have needed her husband to knock out the competition.

You know what would have been the easiest thing she could have done? Practice.

Wrong, R279. The easiest thing she could have done was blame everything on her circumstances and take no accountability for anything...

Why do you all love to beat up on Tonya? What did she ever do to you?

We don't get it.

What did she do to deserve to get beaten up?

[quote] What did she ever do to you?

Hm. Let me think about that.

Tonya did it!

They acted like she was the one who actually did the hitting.

R285. I know, can you imagine? What kind of world do we live in????

Oh come on, R286. Nancy lived. She's nowhere near as bad as Manson.

Nowhere near as bad. Just adjacent.

[quote]Nancy lived.

And only because they were too incompetent to pull of the original plan.

But thanks for letting us know who you are!

[quote]And only because they were too incompetent to pull of the original plan.

That worked out to Tonya's advantage because otherwise she'd be an accessory to murder.

But she would still be excused, R289 because she was abused.

Exactly, r290! Let's not forget who the REAL victim is here. ME.

Only in the era of Trump could the white trash queen from Oregon make a comeback

[quote]Exactly, [R290]! Let's not forget who the REAL victim is here. ME.

No, bitch. The real victims are those of us that had to watch your weird finger gestures and head rolls while you clomped around to the Jurassic Park soundtrack.

Tonya hasn't been punished enough. What other ways can we punish her?

[quote]What other ways can we punish her?

She could be forced to watch Nancy Kerrigan skate to a Neil Diamond medley.

If it wasn't for #MeToo #IAmWomanHereMeRoar, no one would give a rat's ass about this white trash has been thug.

Does anyone believe the bitch is even telling the truth?

At least one person here does, R296.

I don't get it. How is it cheaper to live in a Motel 6 than rent an apartment?

No one said she should not bear responsibility for things she does. The point is she didn't DO anything and was not aware of any specific plans to attack a specific person.

😭 WHHHHYYYYYYY?

😭 WHHHHYYYYYYY?

😭 WHHHHYYYYYYY?

😭 WHHHHYYYYYYY?

😭 WHHHHYYYYYYY?

😭 WHHHHYYYYYYY?

So Naive, R299 !

[quote]The point is she didn't DO anything and was not aware of any specific plans to attack a specific person.

Bridge in Brooklyn I'd like to sell to you ect. ect.

[quote]The point is she didn't DO anything and was not aware of any specific plans to attack a specific person.

HAHAHAHA.

R298, I don’t get it, either. I suspect that it’s because you don’t need a security deposit and good credit and motels will take you because you’re paying cash and it’s easier to evict a non-paying motel guest than it is a non-paying tenant.

In NYC, the city pays for homeless to live in hotels. Shitty cheap hotels. Maybe she was in a program to keep people off the streets, especially if she has minor kids.

R298 and R305 it's the security deposit and credit check. Poor people can't get that first and last months rent together. Some can't get a months rent at once, so they pay week to week as the money comes in. It's more expensive in the long run, but if you don't have savings it's your only option. It's expensive to be poor.

The haters in here overlook a hella lot. They overlook the mothers of other child skaters that spoke as character witnesses against LaVona’s brutality. They over look reports that FSUSA threatened to report LaVona to Protective Services if she didnt stop hiting Tonya. The F group had no right to advise the courts to ban her from the sport. Suspending her for a couple years absolutely.

The prissy fans in here behave as though she swung the baton - there were FOUR WHITE GUYS doing this to Kerrigan - Tonya had no need to destroy her only safe place. This is extremely ordinary behavior for fucked up men like this, letme tell you they are everywhere including boardrooms.

[quote]The prissy fans in here behave as though she swung the baton - there were FOUR WHITE GUYS doing this to Kerrigan - Tonya had no need to destroy her only safe place.

hahahaha.

Get real, r299.

That's like Bonnie saying she had no idea what Clyde was up to.

In five years, she'll be a regular on the Jerry Springer Show and Judge Mathis.

She's Pure White Trash.

She can't think that far ahead.

There's much more to figure skating that jumps, so to claim that Harding was a better skater than Kerrigan is off their rocker.

R402 you *think* R395 was joking? You WROTE R395.

You're dumber than Shane Stant and Roza Galieva combined!!!

The courts did not ban Tonya from skating and the USFSA did not advise the courts.

In March 1994 Tonya pleaded guilty to conspiring to hinder prosecution. A judge sentenced her to three years of probation and fined her $100,000. (Conveniently, that was about the same amount that she received from the TV show Inside Edition for granting them exclusive interview rights.)

A few months later, I think it was in June or July, the USFSA voted to do 2 things: to strip Tonya of her title as the 1994 U.S. Champion (she still retains and always will retain her title as the 1991 U.S. Champion), and to ban her from skating in any USFSA-sanctioned events, for the rest of her life. They also banned her from being a USFSA-sanctioned coach. But they did not, and cannot, ban her from appearing in events that are not USFSA-sanctioned, such as, for example, touring ice shows which have no connection to the USFSA.

You saw how Nancy reacted to that Disney parade, can you imagine how Tonya would have acted? She would have picked a bar fight with one of the Pirates of the Caribbean before the day was over.

R315 True that is how children & adults of profound abuse behave unless they have decades of therapy.. It is not something to laugh at, make jokes about or to further abuse the survivor. It just makes you as asshole.

It's always been popular to bash Tonya or make comments portraying her as a violent person. You would think DL posters would have better taste than to stoop to that stuff, but...

r317 Have you been on DL long? The taste level here is somewhere between Semi-Home Made with Sandra Lee and Salo. I would expect nothing of the sort.

Sandra Lee, you mean Dr. Pimple Popper, R318?

Tonya had personality and pizzazz.

Is Tonya kind of white trash name?

[quote] Tonya had personality and pizzazz.

And spunk!

[quote]The F group had no right to advise the courts to ban her from the sport. Suspending her for a couple years absolutely.

Please get a fucking clue.

Andy, time to give Tonya her own Bravo show.

And here is the next phase of "me, me". Tonya is ready for her apology...

I'll guarantee you that in typical Tonya fashion... she will burn through any new good will towards her she gets in a matter of months. Watch.

Make that weeks, R326.

I can and do acknowledge that Tonya had a brief run at greatness as a skater (the 1991-2 season), had the raw skill and potential to be an even better skater had she put the time and effort it, and acknowledge that she was abused by at least her mother and ex-husband which likely caused her long term serious psychological damage as well as harmed her social and adaptive skills. I can and do acknowledge all that and still think she got off easy for what happened to Nancy and be disgusted with her refusal to own up to it and still insist on projecting her faults onto everyone else.

Tonya is her own worst enemy.

[quote]“I moved from Oregon to Washington because Oregon was buttheads,”

What does that make us, Beavises?

Wasn’t Shane, the muscled one, either gay or gay for pay?

Which one had the Pepperoni tits?

Comments by readers about the NYT article:

"Taffy.....I am really impressed with this piece. You made me feel her beating heart....and yours."

Have mercy.

"t's worth remembering as well that at the same time the figure skating world was telling Ms. Harding that she couldn't succeed because she didn't look or act the part, they were telling young gay men to keep their mouths shut and butch it up. Skating (like so many other sports) had less to do with the skaters than with the perks, privileges and paychecks of the coaches, judges and officials. "

Nobody was telling Tonya she couldn't succeed, because she didn't look or act the part. The USFA was telling her they wanted her to clean up her act so she would represent the USA well in international competitions. And given that she was having run-ins with the law and frequent equipment failures during competitions was that so unreasonable? The USFA association and skating sponsors were helping pay for her skating, after all.

from the comment: "Skating (like so many other sports) had less to do with the skaters than with the perks, privileges and paychecks of the coaches, judges and officials"

Sorry, no.

On another subject, I am willing to put money down a reality show is coming. There is NO WAY Tonya doesn't get a show out of this. So, if nothing else, her days living at Motel 6 will soon be over.

They need to do a Reality Show where Tonya and Debi Thomas live in the same house.

No way, man. Debi needs real help for her mental illness.

No, R333 she needs a Reality Show... even she'll tell you that! Please contribute to her GoFundMe NOW!

Huh, well. I think a Tonya and Debi show would be a good idea then.

I'm a little confused by people who say the movie lets Tonya off too easily. I came out of the movie hating Tonya more (while also maybe understanding her). She absolutely comes off as someone who thinks nothing is her fault ever, who refuses to take advice or do work, and who kept returning over and over again to toxic people even though she HAD opportunities to leave them. Juxtaposing that against the he said/she said/the bird said nature of the screenplay made it clear that this was a woman who couldn't be trusted. Even the thesis of the movie ending monologue is about how Tonya doesn't believe there's any such thing as "the truth", which is crazy!

There were times the movie made me pity Tonya. But it never made me think she was anyway likable.

r319 No, I mean this paragon of bad taste.

[quote]Tonya had personality and pizzazz.

There once was a time in this business when I had the eyes of the whole world! But that wasn't good enough for them, oh no! They took the idols and smashed them, the Fairbankses, the Gilberts, the Valentinos! And who've we got now? Some nobodies!

Tonya never got much support from the USFSA. She was never their "chosen one" or "golden one" along the lines of Yamaguchi or Kerrigan. There weren't many private donors either. Philip Knight, the CEO of Nike, which is based in Oregon, donated $20,000. But that's about it.

And she didn't even have to sleep with Chilly Tee to get it.

[quote]Tonya never got much support from the USFSA. She was never their "chosen one" or "golden one" along the lines of Yamaguchi or Kerrigan. There weren't many private donors either. Philip Knight, the CEO of Nike, which is based in Oregon, donated $20,000. But that's about it.

More revisionist bullshit on Tonya's life's details.

[quote]Tonya was making money from endorsements by 1991. And USFSA gives stipends to their top competitors.She earned a peak of $75,000 between 1991 and 1992, thanks to a deal with Texaco that included a television commercial and numerous personal appearances. Since November 1992, she has received $40,000 in prize money and stipend of $75,000 between 1991 and 1992, thanks to a deal with Texaco that included a television commercial and numerous personal appearances. Since November 1992, she has received $40,000 in prize money and stipend from the United States Figure Skating Association but said in October that she could only afford to pay for 15 minutes of coaching a day.

The moral of this story is never to trust a white woman.

[quote]Which one had the Pepperoni tits?

Tonya? But she got implants.

"The prissy fans in here behave as though she swung the baton."

She was in on it, so she did play a part in swinging the baton against her rival's knee.

I don't give a fuck about Harding's awful mother or fucked up childhood. She has a lot of chances to transform her wretched life and she fucked it up royally. She is, and always will be, a horror story.

Make that days, R326:

I love the Sufjan Stevens song.

The big question is, will she be running for President in 2020?

I could see her as a VP pick

Tonya had several first place wins before the scandal notably U.S. Champion in 1991. She was also U.S. Champion in 1994, but her name was erased from that win. I always liked her. She was great to watch. She has personality and pizzazz.

However, even before the scandal, she wasn't getting endorsements for all her success. If she had won a medal at the Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway even her mother said she wouldn't have gotten endorsements because she didn't have the wholesome ice princess persona. Glad she's happy now.

Tonya Harding

You can bet 1st her Mother and then Jeff demanded they “handle” her money. Very common with amazingly talented women.

Also the idiocy of remarks like “when she had an opportunity to leave him she didnt.” No she didnt. 1) it is the rare woman that actually leaves Her abuser on the 1st attempt. 2) How did you miss that she was DIVORCED from Jeff when a judge told her she needed to show “supportive Family” present in her life - so she did what she hated the most to do - invite the only family she had known back. UGH. If you think that isn’t real oppression in many many women lives - ask a GAY WOMAN.

3) She went from an authoritarian/abusive Mother to another authoritarian figure - an older guy - that like so many authoritarian types was succeptible to violence. How do you not understand this?

I always liked her too. The worst thing that ever happened to her was hooking up with Jeff Gillooly. Then the domestic violence police reports came in - & her mother “I think Jeff is right, he should beat you every day.”

WHat's Gilloly up to these days? Most abusers don't mellow into non-abusers.

Tonya is an inspiration to us all. I don't want to let her down.

I enjoyed the movie.