Tonya Harding

[gio]

How many medals would have Tonya Harding won if she had stayed focused on skating and not on stupid things?

I think 92 and 94 Olympics, some Worlds and US Nationals titles 'till 98, being a serious challenge to Kwan, who could have mastered the 3A as a counter-weapon.

She was IMO a real talent with great technique for every jump. And her artistry was not bad either IMO. Her Two Tribes SP and People are still having ### SP were very enjoyable.

 

[Winnipeg]

How many medals would have Tonya Harding won if she had stayed focused on skating and not on stupid things?

I think 92 and 94 Olympics, some Worlds and US Nationals titles 'till 98, being a serious challenge to Kwan, who could have mastered the 3A as a counter-weapon.

She was IMO a real talent with great technique for every jump. And her artistry was not bad either IMO. Her Two Tribes SP and People still have ### SP were very enjoyable.

Thought the 92 Olympics was before the Kerrigan issue so this one shouldn'e be considered?

IMO, although she had the skating ability, her personality would have always, somehow, gotten in the way

 

[gio]

Thought the 92 Olympics was before the Kerrigan issue so this one shouldn'e be considered?

She came there jet-legged!! If she went in Albertville with the team and stayed focused on skating, she could have won it.

I was not talking just about the Kerrigan affair, but her attitude towards FS. Without that attitude she could have been a champion IMO.

 

[Winnipeg]

She came there jet-legged!! If she went in Albertville with the team and stayed focused on skating, she could have won it.

I was not talking just about the Kerrigan affair, but her attitude towards FS. Without that attitude she could have been a champion IMO.

w/o the attitude, I agree!

Nicole Bobek was another one who could have performed better w/o the attitude

 

[attyfan]

How many medals would have Tonya Harding won if she had stayed focused on skating and not on stupid things?

I think 92 and 94 Olympics, some Worlds and US Nationals titles 'till 98, being a serious challenge to Kwan, who could have mastered the 3A as a counter-weapon.

She was IMO a real talent with great technique for every jump. And her artistry was not bad either IMO. Her Two Tribes SP and People still have ### SP were very enjoyable.

While I think that Tonya would have had a much more extensive medal collection if she had worked harder, I doubt that she could have lasted until '98. I have always wondered, though, if there wasn't something about Tonya's collapse that is connected to the long delay between the Ito-Harding "triple axel" war of the early '90s and the current crop of ladies landing that particular jump.

 

[chuckm]

It's useless to talk about Harding's lost opportunities. She simply did not have the mindset of a champion, and therefore she never could have been consistently at the top of her game. She thought her own raw talent would propel her to the top and keep her there. What she failed to recognize was that champions MUST practice long hours to hone their skills and keep them in top condition. Her failure to put in the time on the practice rink is what held her down.