Tonya Harding Makes Rare Appearance on Social Media: Here's What She Had to Say

Tonya Harding is skating into a new realm of social media.

The legendary athlete, known for her part in a 1994 incident involving fellow Olympic figure skater Nancy Kerrigan, shared some words with followers upon joining X (formerly Twitter) on January 29th.

Hello everyone! This is Tonya Harding here, and guess what? You’ve found me on X! I’m absolutely thrilled. It’s a brand-new year now, and I can hardly wait for us to connect. So come join me, let’s have a great conversation. I adore you all. Wishing you a wonderful new year. God bless, see you soon!

Tonya titled her X post as a warm greeting: “Hello everyone! At long last, I’ve managed to create an account here! I’m thrilled to catch up with you again (for those who might recall me). Warm regards, Tonya.

Over the past few years, you might have found Olympian Harding actively engaging on Instagram or even recording customized Cameo videos for his fans – all for a fee. In other words, he’s no stranger to social media platforms and interactions with his followers.

Several users responded to her first X post, with one person writing, “Good luck! Break a leg.”

1994 saw an assault on figure skater Nancy Kerrigan, taking place one day before her first Ladies’ Singles competition at the U.S. Figure Skating Championship and exactly one month before the Winter Olympics. The assailant used a concealed baton to strike Kerrigan above the knee in a premeditated attack orchestrated by the ex-husband of her rival, Tonya Harding.

As an ardent admirer, I can’t help but recount the captivating tale of those iconic skating years. You see, Kerrigan had to forfeit her national championship bid due to her injury-induced absence. Yet, in her stead, Harding seized the U.S. title, opening the doors to Lillehammer ’94, a stage upon which they both danced – representing our nation on the Olympic team. In an extraordinary twist, Kerrigan claimed a silver medal that fateful day.

Nonetheless, the contentious issue involving the alleged assault at the U.S. Skating Championships and my potential involvement in it persistently cast a shadow.

In 1994, she admitted to conspiring to obstruct justice by concealing an attack, receiving a sentence of three years’ probation, 500 hours of community service, and fined $100,000. The United States Figure Skating Association imposed a lifetime ban on her and revoked her 1994 national championship title.

Nevertheless, the contentious issue about the assault at the U.S. Skating Championships, involving Harding’s potential involvement, remained a lingering question.

In 1994, she admitted to conspiring to obstruct justice by hiding an assault and was given three years’ probation, 500 hours of community service, and fined $100,000. The U.S. Figure Skating Association imposed a lifetime ban on her and took away her 1994 national skating title.

The FBI investigation into the attack revealed that Shawn Eckardt, a friend of Jeff Gillooly (Hardin’s former husband), had employed Shane Stant to carry out the assault on Kerrigan. In 1994, Stant was given an 18-month prison sentence after admitting guilt to conspiring to commit second-degree assault. Meanwhile, Eckardt and Gillooly both admitted to racketeering and were sentenced to 18 months and two years in prison respectively.

After the incident took place, Harding found out about the specifics of the attack. Subsequently, she didn’t share any relevant information with the authorities.

She remarked during the 2018 ABC News special Truth and Lies: The Tonya Harding Story, “I had a feeling something was amiss.” Nevertheless, I happened to hear them discussing matters in which they suggested, “Perhaps we should eliminate someone so she can secure a spot on the team.

The significant sports scandal that sparked numerous discussions still resonates in the public mind, and interestingly enough, it became the basis for the 2017 film “I, Tonya.” In this movie, Margot Robbie portrayed Harding, while Allison Janney took on the role of her mother. Notably, Allison Janney won an Oscar for her performance.

Since then, Harding has publicly addressed the incident, acknowledging that she was more concerned with the future. She stated to USA Today in 2014, “I don’t recall many details from 20 years ago. It was a difficult period for everyone involved. It was a tough stretch, dealing with everything that happened, but I managed to overcome it. I believe Nancy and I are living well now.

In recent years, both athletes have been back in the limelight. Notably, Kerrigan took part in “Dancing With the Stars” in 2017, although she was eliminated mid-season. Conversely, Harding teamed up with partner Sasha Farber and finished third on the show in 2018.

In a conversation with TopMob News, Harding expressed that he had gained an enduring friendship and a renewed affection for America.

2025-01-30 21:26

Tonya Harding Makes Rare Appearance on Social Media: Here’s What She Had to Say

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