Tonya Harding - 1989 US Nationals Original Program

[xmykeyx]

i wish we could see tonya's skates at the nationals from the mid 80s...

[getrealandsee]

The audience was BOOING!!!!!!!!!!! I am with them. Required elements??? OMG what did they want from her? And the presentation marks..who's the do do bird that set that at 5.5? She was ROBBED as in RIPPED OFF! That could tend to make a person angry and justifiably so. Granted, you don't go out and do a knee job on the competiton but DAMN! SHE WAS GREAT! She could have won Olympic Gold! If only, if only, if only.........

[delayedricochet]

Tonya was the complete package here by this time and it is quite up to date and timeless. The speed, flow, ease, technical ability, the edges, footwork, transitions, artistry, attack, you name it.

[tracyterry]

she looks like a hog in a Harpo wig

[kh3205]

It's unfortunate that she two-footed on the triple Lutz. If she'd had a clean landing, she would have won the short. Her 1st mark should be 5.6 due to the Lutz landing (-0.2), a rough spiral sequence (-0.1), and a simple (fast, though) step sequence (-0.1). Her spins and other jumps were superb. With her rather strong 2nd marks here, the two-footed landing really killed her. Yes, under the current system, this mistake would not be deadly, but then it was so with the mandatory .2 deduction.

[snofagun1814]

o hunny she meant business with those spins holy moly

[yuuiz]

this program is magnificent. i luvvvvvv the footwork.

[lookscudkill]

Harding being only third and bronze at this u.s. nationals and not going to the world's was an injustice since she was so much better than that. However, the key thing is wasn't there supposed to be three u.s. women to go to the '89 world championships since Debi Thomas won bronze the year before at the world's?

[slcrawford2003]

Harding was a TRUE athletic skater, her jumps were the envy of other female skaters. Granted her artistry was that of a bull in a china shope , but give credit were credit is due. She was a wonderfully athletic skater.

[HattieLovesCattie]

@slcrawford2003 She had raw talent alright.Its amazing she had the spins and jumps with her asthma.

[kwadruple]

The world team should have been Yamaguchi and Harding.  Jill Who??

[3370433704]

I attended this event in Baltimore and, while both Yama and Tonya skated great long programs, Yama completed 6 triples while Tonya only completed 4 (2-footing her 3 lutz and no 3 flip in the program). Kristi also had a much larger audience response to her program than did Tonya. I thought the judges made a good call.

[ste3021878]

This was the Nationals where everyone started talking about Tonya and how much excitement and energy she brought to the ice. After that spectacular double axel, I still can't believe she got 5.5s for required elements. But this was the era when judges "held up" some of the top skaters and looked past their weaknesses to keep them on the podium. Kristi had the complete package but Jill Trenary always underperformed and struggled during her free skates and this competition was a case in point.

[buttleelegant]

Kristi did not have the complete package in 89.

She had no artistry yet, she was just a jumper and athletic skater like Harding and Harding was a better one. I agree Kristi's triple to Worlds that year was a gift from the USFSA.

[visceraltuning]

A complete package in 1989 included both compulsory figures and freeskating, and while Harding placed 4th in figure Yamaguchi only placed 8th.

[adglen41112]

I agree with muffycat26, I watched that program when it first aired, and Tonya was definitely robbed of her trip to Worlds that year.

[stefrevollo]

well the triple lutz was two-footed but I cannot believe she was ranked behind Jill who only had a triple toe combination!!! Great speed, spins, great music choice. Too bad she didn't get her ticket to worlds that year, she was so on.

[tapecase72]

I thought Jill did a triple flip combination back then.

[christopher1980]

Jill switched to Triple Toe combinations starting in the 1988-89 season at Skate Canada

[bendonna]

Jill was a much stronger skater, thats why she won the short...and she was clean.

[stefrevollo]

sorry but Harding was stronger than Jill even back then.

[bendonna]

well, I along with the judges disagree, which is why Jill won.

[bendonna]

yeah tonya really didnt do any footwork, it was very easy for a senior lady, and her style was not very good back then, jumps and spins were amazing....she should have beaten yama

[visceraltuning]

At least Tonya was doing a real Lutz. Kristi was doing something only Nicole Bobek could be proud of.

[muffycat26]

Totally robbed. She should have beaten both Jill and Kristi in the short. I think it was fixed for Jill and Kristi to be the team this year no matter how they skated. Atleast Jill had superior artistry though. Kristi at this point was just a very good and consistent jumper, but Tonya's jumps were far superior when she did land them, like she did here, and her spins and speed were much better. Kristi should thank the USFSA for her trip to Worlds that year. Tonya robbed big time.

[visceraltuning]

Kristi was already going to Worlds in Pairs so maybe the USFSA was just trying to save money on plane tickets because they were such a poor federation.

[ft192]

great performance great marks, great job!!!

[genuinecap]

The score cards were so old school! Wasn't used to that!

[suraaldy]

Has a kind of charm, doesn't it?