Tonya Harding was accused of hiring someone to take our her rival Nancy Kerrigan back in 1994. A friend of Harding’s ex husband hid in the darkness at a skating rink where Kerrigan had been practicing and hit her in the knee with a police baton as she attempted to exit the ice.

Photos of Kerrigan grabbing her knee and yelling “Why” appeared in almost every magazine in the country in the weeks after the incident.

Harding at first denied that she had anything to do with the attack, but later pleaded guilty to related charges in court. She was ordered to pay a fine and to complete 500 hours of community service. Although Kerrigan didn’t take home the gold at the Olympics that year, she still did much better than Harding. Kerrigan took home the silver medal and Harding took home eighth place.

The attack became known as one of the worst in Olympic history and few people aren’t aware of it. This has made it very difficult for Harding to move on. Filmmaker Nanette Burstein recently brought the attack back to the attention of the public with her documentary, “The Price of Gold.”

Harding was interviewed during the documentary and revealed some startling information about her life. She still claims that she did not have anything to do with the attack and was unfairly blamed by United States Figure Skating. She also admitted to being abused both physically and verbally by her mother and ex husband.

Harding says that she has put the past behind her and is hoping others, including Kerrigan, will do the same. “Everybody is entitled to their opinion, it was 20 years ago. We both have gone our separate ways. Get over it, okay? Its 20 years. I’m sure that she’s done and I am too,” she said.

She now has a simple life with her son and enjoys doing landscaping projects in her spare time.

Do you think Tonya Harding had anything to do with the attack that almost ended Nancy Kerrigan’s skating career?

Image via Wikimedia Commons.