Tonya Harding - 1991 U.S. Figure Skating Championships, Ladies' Free Skate

Tonya Finishes first after being the first America Women to complete and Attempt a triple Axel. In my opinion this is top 3 greatest long programs of all time. It is still difficult to Today's standards.

[@Sophie-nz9fz]

all the other skaters used traditional classical music, and then here’s tonya skating to the theme from batman. iconic.

[@chooseyourpoison5105]

Ikr? I suggest watching the final where Tonya skated to People Are Still Having Sex. (If you type it in the search box it should come straight up) It's great - the other girls are prissily gliding round to classical music and out comes Tonya and slams out a few triple axels to People Are Still Having Sex. It's like a gigantic middle finger to the judges.

[@sdoaiza]

The skaters choose the music?

[@user-ok9yc1gj6o]

Hello Helo sometimes the coaches choose, but usually the skaters choose it.

[@amidala904]

Hello Helo Of course. It's her program. Either her or her coach would have selected the music.

[@annecohen8927]

Sophie This was ‘Send in the Clowns’

[@mlew413]

They can NEVER take this from her.

[@Jecoopster]

mlew413 omg, I was just about to comment this! Glad to see it’s the top comment, even four years ago!

[@dannydong5775]

NEVER

[@skiddydiddy1462]

They already did lmaoo

[@venuzmodeling6749]

OmgItsMackenzie Mack they didn’t lmao she’s still the first American woman to land a triple axel in competition. She will always be the very first American woman to land it.

[@skiddydiddy1462]

@@venuzmodeling6749 Lmao chill I was joking

[@yuliacherednikov9903]

The announcers are so wholesome. “Oh, how nice! How terrific!”

[@malachityeejl5129]

Ikr the commentators are so cute the "good girl!" Made me smile lol.

[@rc4083]

The commentators these days are so classless and irritating.

[@legolover6619]

Before Liberals destroyed America

[@rhondaramirez2563]

True, doesn’t help they usually don’t use people that actually work in the business and went to school for it.

[@AWlpsSHOW36]

@@legolover6619 What do Liberals have to do with it?

[@stephenhewitt5721]

It breaks my heart to think of how many times she must’ve rewound her VHS tape of this triple axel and heard the words “good girl” used in such a loving and adoring and approving way. Those words must have been so validating, having barely ever heard that in her life before.

[@Marieq]

I even rewound it back like 5 times just watching this. Because it made me so happy and listening to the guy saying good girl! Oh how terrific! I was just so proud of her, and so were they.💕🤗💕

[@notyou5831]

👌😢😢💗💖

[@getyoinked3937]

This made me mentally ugly cry

[@gianna3928]

well thanks now i'm crying

[@Missditabomb]

@Stephen Hewitt: Yes, so true and well said.

[@nashboro1847]

Tonya was the 1st american skater to nail the triple Axel. Can't take that from her regardless of the career fall later.

[@CaptainBlaze]

In 2017 theres only 6 people in the world who can do it. Damn still so rare

[@Sinsemilla4u]

She didn't take anything from herself. She busted her ass, and earned her place. Shitty courts and shitty public opinion in the figure skating world took her career from her. No one can take what was her natural talent though.

[@lsrasr158]

there is a video on ladies triple axels and the 7 ladies (now 8 with Mirai Nagasu) who have landed a triple axel at an international competition. Tanya is the 2nd lady to accomplish the feat. Midori Ito was the 1st in 1988.

[@paulinemonter8480]

lsr asr that’s why they said the first american

[@lsrasr158]

Pauline Monter, yes I know Tonya was the 1st american woman to land the triple axel. my comment was for captain blaze who stated that as of 2017 there were 6 women who had landed a 3A in competition. My comment was to correct that.

[@debb1137]

I tear up every time I watch her land that jump. No one can ever take that moment from her.

[@jk-tw2ze]

Cry a little every time I watch it.

[@xe6355]

Ah, same. The whole performance makes me very emotional but especially that jump... that moment might've been the happiest she's ever been in her life

[@skittles5703]

Lorena yes, but she’s the first girl skater to do that is America

[@redd605]

She was spinning so fast the take off was perfect.with her ability could of been world,olympic champion.but the wrong person got to her ,and changed her career path that mentally destroyed it.

[@agstyle5797]

she clubbed a girl in the knees though

[@tasfiahchowdhury1608]

“And especially my husband.” Oh, Tonya...

[@nurafrizal]

little did she know

[@paulcolburn3855]

At this moment they were still newlyweds, probably having sex EVERY NIGHT, and Jeff hadn't gone full nutso yet. At this moment, she was still the diamond to Jeff and he hadn't become a domestic violence headcase. Its hard for young married kids to understand that the world does not revolve around YOU. Now for Jeff Gilloly, at this moment in time, the skating world DID revolve around his wife and what he SHOULD have done is been her advocate and cherished that moment. Because obviously (with this comment) he was still HER number one. And in her success, she was not going to leave him behind, she was not going to "trade up" so to speak. He really fucked up.

[@JRMAV1]

Critique Everything She was no saint, what about her boyfriend Darren Silver who she punched and threw a hubcap at. Tonya’s a talented fake, through and through.

[@emmalouuuu]

oop

[@Sorvea]

She was trying to play the part they wanted her to play.... Jeff was abusive to her before the marriage, but not as bad. She ran to Jeff to run away from her mother.

[@Cmc995]

People always talk about her lack of grace but I think her movements have so much more passion than some of the other skaters

[@tanit7741]

Her skating was superior period

[@tink6225]

very true

[@TheCalebMoline]

I think a lot of that came from the sexist way judges commentators viewed women. She didn’t fit the traditional feminine mold that had been expected in the figure skating world at the time (not that that’s nonexistent today, either).

[@AirmanRugby6]

Ironic that she used the Batman theme and was played by the actress that's known for playing Harley Quinn.

[@joeberentsen]

Aaron Taylor coincidence, not irony

[@sirsnakespeare]

Iconic*

[@SirChesterBellington]

Not really

[@DarkAngel-yz9zi]

I think Margot is known for playing in "Wolf of the Wall street"

[@sweetp2732]

Dark Angel her part in wolf of Wall Street was executed gorgeously

[@LennonTheBunny]

After seeing the movie, "I, Tonya" this performance makes me cry

[@itsmeabby2763]

Lennon The Bunny me to....

[@aino1010]

Aaaa me too. The movie was amazing

[@aino1010]

Jay Zee why thoooo

[@aino1010]

Jay Zee but whyyyyy thoooo. And no

[@aino1010]

Jay Zee i have never even seen a target :0 mitäs vittua nyt. Why so emotional?its funny

[@amyallen517]

“Good girl!!”!!! So sad that this was probably the first time in her life she’d ever had/heard anyone say this to her. Breaks my heart for her....☹️

[@danahatzimichaels3531]

You are probably right 😢 God knows she never heard it from her mother or that idiot Gillooly.

[@kkstar1297]

She did that to herself. If she wasn’t so jealous of Nancy Kerrigan and decided to attack her, she would’ve still be skating and people would’ve still love her and not think of her negatively.

[@princepeterwolf]

I can't even imagine what this moment must've felt for someone who spent her entire life being abused and made believe she wasn't amount to anything. I can't even imagine the emotional space she mustve been right there. Bless her! This moment is hers forever no one can take it away from her!

[@adroutt1985]

Exactly

[@alidedereal]

If she was doing this in 2000s she would either be loved for being so different or become a reality star because of the scandal. Either way her life would be much better. She just lived in the wrong era

[@Iceis_Phoenix]

AAD I never thought of it that way but I agree.

[@elainesnow326]

Her style of skating would be welcome today, and she’d be a medal contender. Johnny Weir had the same problem. Unable to consistently land a quad, he skated with lyrical beauty not seen since the late John Curry. He could have won gold in the Petrenko era but was not to be. His style of skating was passé by the mid aughts -so sad because he was like a bird that gently landed on the ice and flew about like a swan. I much prefer his type of skating to that of Hanyu and his quad hopping Ilk.

[@cap1076]

AAD she was ahead of her time. #goat

[@loralieisa]

She also got involved with the wrong guy.

[@farmheroes5455]

I so agree AAD she would have been a huge reality star poor poor Tanya, I always liked her

[@SnowyWolborg]

Speaking as somebody that doesn't know jack squat about ice skating, even I can tell that she had an extreme amount of talent. It's just unfortunate that back then the industry was about femininity and grace rather than skill.

[@apriljohnson379]

sad you can hear undertones of this from the woman commentating

[@amutinyinheaven]

yea but i don't think she was lacking in femininity she looks pretty feminine to me

[@IcyHot311]

She was very graceful

[@elainesnow326]

She’s win it all if skated today

[@delilahbuttontog1748]

i don't think a lack of femininity was her undoing, i think it was the fact her husband hired someone to break her competitor's leg.¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[@bordeauxhouse]

Tonya completed 3 lutz, 3 axel, 3 loop, 3 flip, 3 salchow-double loop combination, 2 axel, fast and centered spins with great positions, amazing transitions and choreo sequence.... I am in awe. This program's components stand the test of time. Tonya skated so far ahead of her time. Also, her music selections from Tim Burton's Batman, Send in the Clowns, and that pop number gave her a variety of expressionand tempo. Wow.

[@Meriale46]

And Nancy Kerrigan could do none of that. Tonya had her beaten already by Nationals... this is why I think Kerrigan's father was involved in the attack... if a man that size had wanted to take her out of the competition he'd have crushed her knee or fractured her leg... he have the strength to get the job done. That whole situation stunk of conspiracy from day one. Kerrigan's people wanted Tonya out of the way because they were confident that Nancy would win the Gold, which is why I love Ocsana Biul so much. She made a fool of Nancy on the ice that year.

[@therealwilfreddierkes9980]

That’s Wild Thing!

[@JeanneNorthcutt]

And. 3 toe loop-3 toe loop combination.

[@miisery7372]

The pure joy on her face is just so genuine and it makes me happy. I hope someday I can learn how to figure skate, even as just a hobby. :,)

[@malachityeejl5129]

I know this is from 3 months ago, but if you want to skate you should do it.

[@aal3x4]

Malachityee Jl how long do you think it could take to learn to figure skate

[@Anna_Stetik]

I've always felt compassion for Tanya. I read somewhere one time that she used to go along the side of the road and collect cans to be able to pay for her lessons, she was from such a poor family. She practiced at a skating rink open to the public. She wanted this so badly, and this performance...all of that struggling, all of those efforts, all of that fighting the odds to make it, and she did. Such a talented skater. I so wish she had never met that pos she married when she was that young. She could have gone on to be an inspiration for so many people.

[@dawnmarie9239]

SerenityGamesToo I always had a soft spot for Tonya, too. All these years later knowing what absolute hell she had been through makes me so sad.

[@camnicole900]

SerenityGamesToo did you watch I,Tonya yet? It's so so good and Margot Robbie does an awesome portrayal of her!

[@Anna_Stetik]

Nah fam, I don't have tv. Not sure where else to be able to see it.

[@samisfun868]

its in theatres. it's amazing

[@someidiot420]

Diane Satterfield her involvement in the whole thing isn’t known, it’s all speculative. the only thing she was prosecuted for was hinderance of the investigation. honestly, knowing how abusive and controlling her husband was, and the fact she did admit to wanting to send a death threat after she believed kerrington did the same to her, it seems as if she really didn’t know anything about it. either way, she shouldn’t have been banned for life for something she didn’t even personally carry out.

[@souprchrgd]

Tonya Harding was an amazing figure skater. What she lacked in grace she definitely made up for it in athleticism. It is sad how things turned out for her.

[@elainesnow326]

Nikolai Karnov today that athleticism would have taken her to the top. She & Johnny Weir were unfortunate in that they skated in the wrong eras. Weir would have been a threat in the Boitano or Alexi Urmanov days & Tonya would have been a real contender in today’s jump heavy world.

[@ruthruthie2931]

She’s alright

[@lf546]

Unfortunately it didn't work for Surya Bonaly :/ And we all know why.

[@elizabethbarnes2339]

Nikolai Karnov , I think now that is all said and done Tonya will forever be remembered for beautiful amazing talent!

[@blueclover9918]

I think she had a lot of grace in this program- it's as if they consciously choreographed it that way

[@patdnerd]

I love how genuinely happy the commentator gets

[@CrooklynKnight]

Triple axels and the Batman theme. Tonya is a fucking legend.

[@christinehoejlund4261]

That moment When she landed the tripple Axel gives me chills!!!!

[@JasonSmith-my7ug]

Can't even HEAR the music EVERYONE is GOING CRAZY!

[@Jordan_Dale]

The whole performance does that for me. I’ve watched it like 20x in the last week alone. The crowd is on fire. Every other skater I watch, past or present, pales in comparison. Everyone has already said it, NO ONE CAN TOUCH THIS OR TAKE THIS AWAY FROM HER!

[@Iceis_Phoenix]

This was the best performance ever. Her speed and ability to jump high look effortless. I cry.

[@FuturaWatchingYou]

Same here!

[@gotohoward]

I don't care what anyone says. She should be an icon of women's skating. I don't care about her transgression. She is the first american woman to nail a triple in competition. End of story. It's historical. She led a tortured life, and got into trouble with a low life BF. Wank off about how bad she is. She still nailed it.

[@elainesnow326]

gotohoward a very brave young lady. Few, no matter how talented, could concentrate and be so fixated at winning, especially after the lack of respect by her competition and mental anguish she suffered at the hands of that nutty mom & abusive hubby

[@elainesnow326]

gotohoward I have nothing but respect for her, despite the later scandal

[@melina1916]

Agreed!

[@Marzio1974]

@Diane Berg torture? Really? c'mon, don't be so dramatic. Lots of people have lived worst experiences than that. Twelve years ago i was cycling and a car ran over me, i got bruises all over my body (right part) and 2-3 ribs broken. For 30 days I couldnot laugh without getting a lot of pain. The accident happened because the car driver , a lady, was (putting it mildly) inattentive...

[@Marzio1974]

@Diane Berg sorry i had to say sprained ribs, not broken

[@sakaribearden4356]

At 4:25 her expression is LIFE! She was so happy. I always get teary eyed when I watch this performance. Tonya Harding you did that boo!

[@howdyyall4335]

It's so beautiful! God bless 💓

[@WhirlwindandHeatburst]

“Good girl!” The way he says that so proudly just can’t help but put a smile on my face.

[@ashleynamdar]

I wanna hug the commentator

[@elainesnow326]

Ashley Namdar dick Button, the last man to win back to back golds. In poor health now (88) he & Jim McKay were the gold standard of figure skating announcers. Alas, we lost Jim in the middle aughts. McKay was one of the last, true gentleman sports reporters. And a great one. Check out his coverage of the 1972 Olympics when the Israeli athletes were slaughtered. You will weep. “They’re all gone” is an expression that will live in infamy

[@maybegigi4799]

Golden Crown ugh forget about them

[@megaman3029]

Golden Crown what’s going on in Palestine is awful but please don’t try and discredit how awful the massacre of the israeli athletes was. They were innocent people.

[@hahahahihihi1403]

Maybe Gigi Forget about people who are being tortured and slaughtered everyday? The compassion really jumped out here

[@markg8022]

@@elainesnow326 Don't try to talk about the slaughtered Israeli athletes when that horrible 1984 Winter Olympics massacre of over 30 figure skaters were killed off by rogue, terrorist Zamboni's.

[@xzfadrh]

She married wrong guy.

[@joeprice2319]

She eventually married the right guy. :)

[@memoriesremain2010]

Joe Price That's because it's you. :)

[@cl9949]

Joe Price so sweet of you to be on here supporting her. This was incredible to watch. Best of luck to your family.

[@joanna7350]

We love Tonya!

[@ilovechez]

So happy Tonyas found her happiness!!!

[@downstageright3298]

0:58 That commentator sounds so genuinely happy even ages after she completes it. It's so cool and puts a smile on my face.

[@singergurl1807]

"She has the biggest smile on her face" she knew she was killing it 😊

[@JennMM]

💋

[@internetexplorer6304]

I love how the Axel was so early in the routine because it means the whole performance after was a victory lap!

[@hardsam68]

As a causal observer she is just so much more fun to watch than Nancy

[@BruteStrength99]

Pascoe Braun When she was in her zone she was unbeatable

[@chriscoyne9717]

Much more powerful and passionate looking on that ice. A total prodigy

[@jenniferwellman5311]

Pascoe Braun Nancy's problem was her attitude, she had this holier than thou attitude. And that's why I didn't like her, I don't care what other people say. Tonya had a real potential, but she had bad people guiding her, and unfortunately she got caught up. Do I think she is to blame for some of that? Yes, she should've stayed away from those people. Marrying that asshole was probably her first mistake.

[@schaefer76]

jennifer wellman Yeah, Nancy was and still is a female dog (if you know what I mean)

[@BeautifulSenorita]

Tonya is more talented and skilled than Nancy too bad she and her asshole husband take her very serious for no reason like how can a mediocre player to be a threat to the first and only player to make the triple axel

[@BobtailTM30]

This has to be one of THE BEST figure skating performances of all time. I never get tired of watching this. She should have received 6.0 across the board for technical merit. Just amazing!!

[@shresthasharma8791]

BobtailTM30 two words. Surya. Bonaly.

[@zachymooo]

Surya Bonaly is a LEGEND. But Tonya is definitely better in this performance. Surya had some messy landings, while all of Tonya's landings here, besides the triple axel (wide swinging leg), were PERFECT.

[@bencompasssuddarth4909]

+Zach Moore agreed

[@BruteStrength99]

I liked Bonaly and I thought she got a bad hand in judging but the fact is she wasn't very graceful. That being said I think she was the most athletic female figure skater I've seen.

[@chooseyourpoison5105]

+Roc Liggins I agree. Didn't one of the judges tell Bonaly she'd like to see her stop jumping and learn how to skate? While that was probably a tad harsh, I think that what the judge was trying to tell her was that she needed to have the whole package if she wanted to make it to the top and not just rely on backflips.

[@Rose0004]

Gotta love the male commentator. He sounded like a proud dad.

[@gessicafarias8738]

05:10 "this is a performance for history, for sure". And here I'am, almost 20 years later, seeing this for the very first time, completely amazed by what i've just saw! An outstanding perfomance that, yeah, made history!

[@honeydenison83]

Funny how she was the first American Woman to complete the triple Axel to the theme of Batman :). I think the song gave her a boost. Who wouldn't get energized during a Batman theme?

[@elainesnow326]

Honey Jones i liked the wild thing touch too

[@Ndoelicious]

idk, Joker maybe?

[@warrenguy76]

Ndoelicious I was gonna say Joker too lol

[@alaskarichardson7681]

Honey Jones I used Batman as my floor music in gymnastics when I competed in college for WVU 😈 I think the music helped me quite a bit. Haha!

[@sooofunny37]

LOL

[@figuresk8er94]

I don't care what your opinion is of Tonya, you have to admit this is amazing. I love how happy she is when she's done. Those are my favorite performances.

[@spoonmixer]

congratulations you have 666 likes

[@getyoinked3937]

ఌ Toga ఌ I want to like but it’s 666

[@Veloxitte]

Lol 666 likes

[@azaleae5570]

the jumps. the spins. the expression. the feeling. everything. this has to be one of the best skating performances ever

[@donnamariedemaio]

No one is a better skating commentator than Dick Button! He really made watching the competitions exciting! His enthusiasm was contagious! Those were the days!

[@jamesdavidkmoss]

He loved the Loop, and he was one the best at it.

[@donngodfather285]

I'm happy most of the comments feel for Tonya. I do too. She lacked some grace and class (so what?) but was damn talented. Her upbringing gave her such low self esteem. It's too bad what scandal befell her. This is something she will have forever. I can't wait to see her movie.

[@elainesnow326]

Donn Godfather bring tissues

[@andromeda_kls]

Wait what did she do?

[@BruteStrength99]

Kay 'The Fangirl' it's not what she did. It's what she was accused of.

[@andromeda_kls]

Roc Liggins what was she accused of?

[@BruteStrength99]

Kay 'The Fangirl' being complicit with the attack on Nancy Kerrigan in Detroit. Her husband hired a thug to break Kerrigan's leg.

[@kristen9489]

She had real talent. She may not have been as graceful as Kristi or Nancy but I think she had the potential. And that jumping. The 3 axel gave me goosebumps. I wish she never met that piece of crap Galooly.

[@sooofunny37]

mustache!

[@hayis4horsesxx170]

ikr? he ruined everything for her

[@waveleopard3074]

such a nightmare that guy.

[@annnick0297]

Why people always saying talent? Gid. She just hard damn working person. Not as graceful as annoying Nancy? Really? Nansy haven't got even 1% of Hardings charisma

[@user-fv4to1il6o]

Ann Nick0 literally what the hell did you even type, please use some grammar

[@heyodi3092]

This is the only video EVER that makes me cry every time. When that announcer says “GOOD GIRL”, God it just gets me. Man what a moment.

[@laceyharper4956]

Tonya's life is so tragic. She is a masterpiece and deserved so much more. But this moment can never be taken, no matter what happened. She's an absolute legend.

[@rubygirl214]

This!!! I saw it live with my mom and we were both crying. It was just beautiful. She was so amazing.

[@mrmrsmsmisscloud7512]

She was brilliant and SHE became the victim of the American dream. Not fair what happened to her, she couldn't help the actions of others. GOd bless Tonya Harding.

[@schaefer76]

MrMrsMsMiss Cloud Amen

[@danim955]

@Jones Heywire This is 2 years late but the American dream is the idea that in America you can be poor and move anywhere freely within the class system with enough effort. Victim meaning it didn't work, many people believe it isn't really possible to move around like that or it is very rare. There's a saying by George Carlin that it is called the American Dream because you have to be asleep to believe it. So I think that is what they meant

[@jasper8961]

@@danim955 well she succeeded didn't she

[@amany247]

No god but Allah Islam way for peace and the real monotheism Search for the truth and right way with honest heart And ask him for the right way for his mercy.

[@Person-mh6xq]

@@amany247🙄

[@louise441000]

i always and still do like tonya harding. she was attacked by everyone i belive mostly because she didn't fit the "princess" like model of figure skaters like nancy kerrigan. she was truly talented, but a little more lower class no fault of her own and because of that, they gave her a much harder time than if nancy did that to her. or better said, nancy would of got the benefit of the doubt immediately, they couldn't wait to lay into poor tonya. she's more down to earth and REAL than most other fake figure skaters who were brought up with silver spoons in their mouth.

[@Meriale46]

Her poor track record? The only mistake she ever made was marrying an insecure jealous little boy that knew his marriage was about to be over and so what he really did was taken her out. I make certain she would never succeed. He only implicated her after she left him for attacking Nancy Kerrigan.

[@chriscoyne9717]

louise441000 Never ever heard of her having dui's, speeding tickets yes but no dui's.

[@hannahorford7993]

Miki just because you don’t see it that way doesn’t mean other people don’t.

[@d4914]

Kerrigan wasn't really "higher" class; she just fit the patriarch better; Kerrigan's brother was charged and convicted for killing his own father. sounds pretty trashy to me.

[@s.l.3673]

Kerrigan came from working-class family as well. Rough upbringing is no excuse for bad behavior. So, don't confuse the issue as if it's class warfare. Harding should and could have beaten Kerrigan on ice any day; sadly she's resorted to dirty tricks. Talking about being judged by the company you keep.

[@brooklyngurl09]

This made me tear up how powerful she is in her element and how many people tried to come for her physically because of it , people hate natural greatness

[@ariamusic1000]

2:49 Her skating is so precise to the music that each of her legs kicks up at the keys of from the piano

[@chriscoyne9717]

That crowd was roaring, they couldn't take their eyes off of her

[@LennonTheBunny]

haha seeing Yamaguchi's reaction the whole time is hilarious...

[@s.l.3673]

I was in Europe at the time when I saw Yamaguchi's performance on TV. I was surprised she got gold even when she fell more than once.

[@THXx1138]

+S Leung You mean to tell me a skater fell twice and received gold over this performance by Tonya???!!

[@s.l.3673]

@lesliePetoski, read carefully, I was talking about Yamaguchi.

[@THXx1138]

+S Leung Yes, I got that. Why would Yamaguci win if she fell twice? Doesn't seem fair at all.

[@s.l.3673]

@lesliePetoski - i find it odd too, that yamaguchi won gold, albeit the stumble. but her program overall was decent, and the rest of the field was just weak (even if they suffered less/no major mistakes), to be honest.

[@bankvi02]

The movie I,Tonya brought me here…watching this, I almost cried twice! Incredible.

[@mishaayub5557]

0:53 the triple axel

[@duke2894]

THANK YOU

[@elenastidham]

You can literally see the joy on her face when she sticks the landing and I get chills every time -- I, Tonya made this so emotional

[@tammygenewilson]

Tonya did the triple, triple and more triples....why in the world would she need to hurt the "queen Nancy"????

[@nour2146]

Tammy Cottingham this year Mirai Nagasu did the triple axle, she's american

[@mori7449]

Tammy Cottingham .IKR

[@Caroline-mu3qf]

She didnt

[@Caroline-mu3qf]

Nour Imam well thats bc Mirai grew up with a silver spoon in her mouth, she even had a special pully made by her rich father so she could experience doing a triple axel. Tonya did it with none of that.

[@Dalatiidae]

@@Caroline-mu3qf ... Why are you hating on her? Tonya isn't the best skater ever, there's no need for you to shit on someone else's accomplishments. Russian girls are also doing triples, what are you gonna say about that when they do it in more public competitions?

[@derekweinert7943]

As a drummer i can tell you she is has insane rythm... Love how she moves her hands when the beat comes on in the second half

[@mwahhha226]

i can’t imagine the pride she felt. this is a moment in history no matter what happened after she was perfect here

[@supermozzarellabrain]

When he "GOOD GIRL" that made my day and just want to hug him. We love you Tonya🤭

[@rogersmith2482]

Damn. It's sad she never reached her potential and it all went nuts.

[@SusieSynth]

She also had the most fun songs in her routines! You could see she was having a blast out there! You are a legend Tonya!

[@manonty2417]

First time I'm watching Tonya, I'm not American, didn't know about her till the movie, but except for her being technically flawless and very raw and delightful in her skating, I realize that what makes her exceptional in my eyes is that when she skated she REALLY REALLY LOVED IT..! Her HUNGER for her art exuded and shined incandescently all around..!!!

[@whatsnews6790]

Amy Adams would have been perfect to play her , looks wise of course

[@gabbidurham]

Thomas Mcconville I agree that Amy Adams could have done an awesome job as Tonya, but Tonya Harding nailed it.

[@lolablake9196]

Margot Robbie*

[@abzreedus]

Gabbi Durham I think u mean margot Robbie lol

[@latinadavis3691]

@@gabbidurham u mean Margot Robbie nailed it lol

[@darlamae9876]

Amy Schumer you mean lol

[@reyyanyildiz]

3:56 Idk why but the next 10 seconds give me so much satisfaction. Her doing the footwork with the audience clapping louder than the actual music is so nice 😍

[@Syrastro]

Male figure skater here. Tonya was one of my first motivations to learn.

[@kitmelton5126]

Her footwork at 3:56 and that kick at 4:04 is just so amazing to me, I’m hoping to learn this in the future

[@augustjones7806]

Ice Princess Tonya Harding is an American Skating Legend....

[@joeprice2319]

Yep and she is a wonder mother and wife.

[@barkingtree88]

Joe Price tell Tonya that Sam in Maine says hello!

[@elainesnow326]

Joe Price hey at least she hasn’t fallen as far as Debbie Thomas. The 86 world champion & Olympic bronze medalist lost her medical license, is severely mentally ill and lives simply in a double wide with a much older man. She is out of touch with reality. A truly brilliant woman and superb skater, she is a shell of her former magnificent self. That would make a good movie.

[@clarecarter294]

I'd never heard of her until the Nancy Kerrigan scandal - a shame, as this performance was fantastic and showed a hugely talented skater.

[@lammarea7567]

No kidding. It’s sad that people know them for the scandal and now how fantastic they were at skating

[@robbyor]

Timeless. About 20-25 years later, this program still would've been considered competitive.

[@terrib627]

Nah. She'd need a triple-triple at least to compete with the Japanese and Korean ladies.

[@juniormyers5378]

She was so happy at that moment, it makes me happy for her just seeing her reaction to what she had just accomplished.

[@tonytremonti9296]

Wow! This is one of the most thrilling female skates ever! It's that ultra rare moment in time where everything is in perfect alignment..."the zone". It's magical, and I'm glad that Tonya got the chance to experience it.

[@twosipbip]

What a beautiful moment in her life. She lit up the entire stadium with her energy. So much pain goes into a skill as incredible as this.

[@JT-il3fe]

A lot of people don’t understand how great Tonya was. She was a child prodigy and to be the first American Ice skater land the triple axle! That alone was a testament to her talent. She was the girl from the wrong side of the tracks thought for it affected her confidence. That’s how the Nancy incident happened. Truth is she could’ve beat her just lacked the confidence of the other girls that had personal trainers since they were five years old. As far as natural talent she had it, the other girls didn’t but they had mom and dad’s money for the leg up she couldn’t afford, no pun intended! The video you just watched don’t hold your breath till you see a better run than that you might not make it!

[@yananavarro15]

It’s a shame they banned her from skating ever again, she was so inspiring and incredible ❤️

[@MareShoop]

Make bad choices, pay the price

[@LunaDelTuna]

@@MareShoop The only thing Tonya is guilty of is marrying an idiot.

[@cassidybrown5198]

@@MareShoop she didn’t! Her husband was an abusive fuck who’s friend planned behind her back!

[@hayis4horsesxx170]

I just seen "I, Tonya" yesterday. My ma and I went to see it in the cinema. Margot Robbie plays Tonya, and tbh she did a brilliant job at it. It was an amazing movie. My ma told me she remembers watching Tonya on tv during the Olympics and liking her, but she never knew until the movie how hard her life was and how strong she was as a person. It made her love her even more. I really recommend the movie, it was outstanding.

[@kelsey1406]

I love how she cheers for herself!

[@malachityeejl5129]

When the commentator yelled "good girl!" Made me tear up ngl.

[@xLuckyStarGirlx]

I love how genuinely pleased the commentators sounds, rather than tearing her down

[@davidkane5065]

Rarely mentioned when discussing Tonya's jumps, but she's also one of the few skaters to have a real lutz and a real flip. So many of the best jumpers struggle(d) with one or the other. Saw news footage of her arguing with Diane Rawlinson, who seemed to want her to put an extra lutz or flip in her free skate. Definitely put too much focus on the axel when her other six jumps were so clean too.

[@FigureSkatingVideosAnalysis]

Only the biggest of skating geeks get this concept it seems based on current judging! Thank you for this awesome post! And you figure she was this brilliant in her technique in 1991. 27 years later, we have Olympic medallists who are extremely inferior to what we see in this routine. Tonya is simply one of the sports legends, no matter what.

[@DanielRivasMusic]

Lovely. It really is something, watching her face BEAMING with pure joy and pride after she nails the triple (and again after the routine is complete). This will live forever. Just superb!

[@rubygirl214]

DanielRivasMusic man... does this bring tears to my eyes every damned time. Her face just kills me. Very few people get to experience that one moment in their lives to feel that level of pride and accomplishment.

[@rva]

Emotional 🦋

[@unknownperson2596]

Watched figure skating in the 90s. This was the first performance i've ever seen, it was truly magical and one of the best ive seen. Nobody electrified the crowd like she does.

[@robbieknovak9432]

FOUR TRIPLES IN THE FIRST MINUTE OF A LONG PROGRAM. TONYA ROCKS!!!

[@kirstenbaileybates]

So much joy in this performance. Just gorgeous... I'm a happy that she finally found peace in her life and found a way to move on. A legend of her time🏆❄️

[@TatianaDadovich]

I'd say it's serendipitous.

[@dueroden]

Tonya landing that triple axel is one of the most exciting moments in figure skating history.

[@fmmf1950]

They will never ever take this moment away from her. Iconic performance.

[@ana.medina]

no one can ever take this performance away from her, this is what inspired me to finally start figure skating after wanting to do it for so long.

[@warrenguy76]

Like her or not, Tonya ruled in this routine. A true competitor. Would she have gotten more 6.0s had her leg didn't kick out so much after the triple axel?

[@chooseyourpoison5105]

Ikr? She almost OVER rotated the triple axel. Amazing.

[@IndigoBellyDance]

Her expression when she lands the triple axel…. Chills she was so proud of herself here. She deserves happiness

[@1927su]

Even after all these years, this is still so cool to watch & people can think & say whatever they want, but she still was the first American woman to hit that triple axel in competition.. very cool.

[@nikkisprout883]

No matter what -- nobody can take this from her.

[@joannegeorgiades]

One of her greatest performances....sad how things were to change in a few years

[@star_kitten110]

U can see the look of pure happiness and confidence on her face for the rest of the performance. Priceless. That was/is the highest point of her life.

[@carterwilson4605]

This is still to this day my favorite performance of all time.

[@pappysprite]

This was an awesome routine. I'd like to think she had no part in the Nancy attack.

[@hayis4horsesxx170]

I agree, and tbh it wasn't her fault at all. she only agreed to the death threats (yes, I know, that was bad enough) but she has nothing to do with the attack. her ban from skating was completely horrible, but no one can ever take away this performance.

[@marcohodge8036]

hayis4horses xx In all honesty, I don’t want this to be taken the wrong way, but I understand why the idea of the death threats came to them in the first place. It probably was just a set up because the panel didn’t want her to make it in the first place. I truly feel that when death threats were made about Tonya, there were none in question, but they feared her out of skating for that competition, and were hoping she would just quit because she didn’t “fit the bill” for what they were trying to portray. Not justifying it, but when you worked for everything to get to that point, and clearly are among the best, and not recognized for it, it pushes you toward insanity. This should have been 6.0’s across the board by the way. Not a single flaw in this performance :)

[@gabbidurham]

Wasn’t her fault in my opinion. It was Jeff’s piece of shit friend.

[@ptulip]

In a bit of irony she thanked her husband, I bet if she could go back and do it over she would. What a performance, gave me goosebumps.

[@AFCompany]

I love 6:23 when the crowd screams at the first ever 6.0 given out for technical.

[@scottw9318]

im in the midst of battling cancer - whenever I feel like giving up, I think of Tonya and watch this skate. Probably 1,000 of these views are mine. If you ever see this comment, Tonya, you’re my inspiration.

[@khoiitran]

I hope everything will be better for you

[@Marieq]

I just wanted to know how you're doing now? I hope you're doing well!❤

[@Zedwoman]

She was brilliant in this. Good to watch it again after all this time. They will never take that away from her.

[@jemiu9525]

0:58 the moment you're here to cry over 😭 so beautiful

[@HelenAnnely]

Mvp

[@nadaespecifico_]

I’m so in love with Tonya!!! She’s amazing!!! She deserves everything!!!

[@JaMiNaLiCiOuS07]

I watch this and cry. Tanya went through so much to get here and she deserved it.

[@Shizzmonger]

Is no one going to mention how great it is that she's skating to Danny Elfman's Batman Theme?

[@elainesnow326]

Carl Loewenguth or Ton Loc’s wild thing

[@lh9591]

There are so few few moments of unbridled happiness. Especially for Harding, who came from a toxic life, this felt like it was all worth it. You could see all the joy flowing forth. It’s beautiful yet sad at the same time. The price of extreme happiness is often extreme sadness. You don’t see the same amount of joy from other actors or athletes, winning anything. And she got the joy from just performing the move. Not from the recognition. That’s what makes her compelling.

[@PaNaMaMa1981]

Tonya Harding was the best. She was such a strong, powerful skater. She truly had a breathtaking talent.

[@Whyistomatoafruit]

I love how the commentators are so excited and happy for her 😄