Tonya Harding

By Phil PerryCSNNE.com The sound is what everyone remembers.  Nancy Kerrigan laid on the ground, reaching for her leg and called out, “Why?” Over and over again she shrieked through her tears, “Why? Why? Why?”

Kerrigan was one of the United States’ premier figure skaters in the early 1990s and was preparing for the 1994 U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Detroit when her attacker struck her in the leg just above the knee with a collapsible police baton. She suffered a contusion and was knocked out of the event.  By that point in her career, Kerrigan had already won an Olympic bronze medal (1992) and at the time of her attack in January of 1994, she seemed poised to be named to the U.S. Olympic team for the Winter Games in Lillehammer, Norway. Some thought she'd win gold. But for the 24-year-old from Stoneham, Mass., everything was put on hold when she got whacked. The question became not only “Why?” but “Who?” As in, who would do such a thing?  Tonya Harding – Kerrigan's rival who was also one of the favorites in the upcoming Olympics – was quickly implicated. Days after the attack, Harding’s bodyguard Shawn Eckhardt admitted to authorities that he and Harding’s ex-husband Jeff Gillooly had hatched a plan to attack Kerrigan. The hit man, Shane Stant, and his getaway car driver were also convicted. Harding claimed to have no knowledge of the thuggery. Despite her injury, Kerrigan was selected to the Olympic team, and despite the controversy, so was Harding. As the investigation continued, Harding eventually pleaded guilty to conspiracy to hinder an investigation and was banned from U.S. Figure Skating Association competitions.

 All of a sudden, Harding had become the Michael Corleone of figure skating. Somehow, at the same time, she thrust the sport into the national spotlight. The story of the cat fight between the pretty ice princess, Kerrigan, and the bullish outcast, Harding, made headlines everywhere. Despite the U.S. Olympic Committee’s best efforts to remove Harding from the Olympic team, she threatened legal action and remained teammates with Kerrigan. Cameras feasted on the awkwardness, following the every move of both skaters, especially while they shared the ice during practice sessions. Kerrigan left Lillehammer with a silver medal, while Harding took eighth. And though their careers took very different shapes from that point on, they would be forever linked.  Kerrigan’s athletic career faded into the sunset as she retired from Olympic competition and performed in ice shows. Harding, on the other hand, embraced her image as a bad girl and trouble followed. Amidst several additional run-ins with the law, she appeared on a pro wrestling show, she had a sex tape leaked, and she had a short career as a professional boxer.  Her most infamous mistake, though, will always be the role she played in the Kerrigan assault. Especially in the eyes of Kerrigan’s neighbors in New England.  As we’ve seen with Ulf Samuelson and Jack Tatum, harm one of New England’s own, and you’ll forever be tagged as a bad character here.  That’s exactly what happened to Tonya Harding, Villain since 1994.

Source: http://www.csnne.com