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Tonya Harding

Ancestry of
Tonya Harding

Olympic Figure Skater

    Tonya Maxene Harding

    View famous kin of Tonya Maxene Harding

    • 1st Generation
    • Ahnentafel No:
    • 1 
    • Birth Date:
    • 12 Nov 1970 
    • Birth Location:
    • Portland, Multnomah, Oregon 
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    • Notes: 

    • 2-time Olympic Figure Skater and Admitted Felon

      Tonya Harding, born on November 12, 1970, in Portland, Oregon, is a former American figure skater and a prominent figure in the sport's history. Harding rose to fame in the late 1980s and early 1990s with her athletic prowess and technical skills. She is best known for being the first American woman to land a triple Axel in competition, a feat she achieved at the 1991 U.S. Figure Skating Championships, where she also won the gold medal. This victory marked the pinnacle of her skating career, showcasing her as one of the sport’s most talented athletes.

      Despite her achievements on the ice, Harding’s career and personal life were overshadowed by the infamous Nancy Kerrigan controversy. In January 1994, Kerrigan, Harding’s rival and fellow U.S. figure skater, was attacked at a practice session for the U.S. Figure Skating Championships. The assailant struck Kerrigan's knee, attempting to incapacitate her. Investigations revealed that the attack was orchestrated by Harding's ex-husband, Jeff Gillooly, and her bodyguard, Shawn Eckardt. Although Harding denied involvement, she later pleaded guilty to conspiring to hinder the prosecution. As a result, she was banned for life from the U.S. Figure Skating Association.

      Before the scandal, Harding had a series of notable performances, including winning the Skate America competition in 1989 and placing fourth at the 1992 Winter Olympics. Despite the controversy, Harding continued to seek success in other areas. She briefly pursued a career in professional boxing and appeared in various reality television shows and documentaries.

      In recent years, Harding has seen a resurgence in public interest, particularly with the release of the 2017 film "I, Tonya," which portrayed her life and the events surrounding the Kerrigan attack. The film earned critical acclaim and brought Harding back into the spotlight, providing a nuanced view of her experiences and the complexities of her life.

      Tonya Harding’s legacy is a mixture of groundbreaking achievements in figure skating and the lasting impact of one of the most sensational scandals in sports history.

  • Marriages for Tonya Maxene Harding

    • Spouse:
    • Jeffery S. Gillooly
    • Marriage Date:
    • 18 Mar 1990
    • Marriage Location:
    • Vancouver, Clark, Washington
    • Spouse:
    • Michael Rae Smith
    • Marriage Date:
    • 23 Dec 1995
    • Marriage Location:
    • Multnomah County, Oregon

Scroll down to see sources.

  • Sources for Tonya Maxene Harding

    • 1 Oregon, U.S., Marriage Indexes, 1906-2009, Marriage record for Michael Rae Smith and Tonya Maxene Harding.
    • 3 The Sunday Oregonian (Portland, Oregon), 25 FEB 1990, p. 58, Obituary for grandmother Josephine Marie Harding.

Tonya Harding photo by Andrew Parodi (CC BY 4.0)