2. Thank you, Margot Robbie! The story of Tonya Harding.

Well, I know that this blog should be about tennis, but as I have recently watched “I, Tonya” (Margot Robbie is just stunning.) I decided to look into Tonya Harding’s life more closely. There’s undoubtedly so much to say about this amazing sportsperson, who changed figure skating forever. 

Back to her childhood, she was grewing up in Portland, Oregon, alongside her abusive mother, LaVona (who was constantly drinking vodka and smoking cheap cigarettes and taking little Tonya to a local ice-rink) and 4th (!) husband of hers . Tonya and her family were moving in and out from time to time, from one trailor to another. When she was around 13 years old, her father moved out, got a divorce and she has never seen him since then.  She was even called "trailor trash" because of her background. Not a great beginnings for the ice beauty. 

 It was surprising that the girl who loved fishing, hunting and reparing cars, decided to become the next ice princess of United States. Obviously, the beginnings were pretty harsh as she couldn't fit into this streotype in beautiful girl in colorful, eye-catching dress, with graceful moves. When Elizabeth Manley or Jill Trenary were performing to classical music, Tonya Harding always chose pop or alternative songs who you would probably never ever have chosen to skate to. Check her short programme in Alberville and then search for the , you'll thank me later. 

Tonya Harding was an extremely powerful skater! Her high jumps, and legendary triple axel (She was the first American skater to do so!) booked her a place into the unofficial Hall of Fame of figure skating. You might know her better from the legendary incident which took place in 1994, one night before the US Figure Skating Championships when her then husband Jeff Gilooly, (or it was the so-called bodyguard, who wasn’t a bodyguard by the way) attacked her biggest rival Nancy Kerrigan in order to deprive her the chance to compete in US Championships and win a place in US National Team who went to the Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, in which Kerrigan was the absolute favourite to get a gold. 

 Harding took the gold home that day, but the buzz started right after it, when the media found out that Tonya knew about the assault and they accused her of sabotaging Kerrigan's carreer. After years of speculation, Harding said that she had heard her then husband talking about attacking someone but she didn't think that they were talking about Kerrigan. 

What is really sad is the fact that Harding took all the blame on her. It was not like she wanted to do so, but it was the public media who blaimed her of almost everything. Gilloly just went to jail for some years (or months?)and that was basically it. Harding was publically humilliated multiple times. She couldn't save herself, the buzz was just too big. Not only the 1994 US Champion title was taken from her, she was banned from professional skating right after the Olympics, in which she was 10th.  

After she was banned from skating, she tried everything. From boxing to reality shows, she was even trying to come back to figure skating, taking part in some galas (she was permitted to do so, she couldn't participate in Championships, Olympics, Grand Prix, etc.). Now, she's a mother, wife (luckily not of Jeff Gilooly) and still, the first American woman to jump triple axel in a competition. You cannot take this from her.

Thank you Margot Robbie, I have found another intresting sport to watch to when I am boring.