Posted on 07/04/2023 6:06:24 PM PDT by nickcarraway
Aminata Diallo was being escorted from her foul-smelling holding cell to an interview room inside the Hôtel de Police in Versailles, France, the first time she heard the name Tonya Harding.
Harding’s name is infamous in sports, of course. A decorated American figure skater, she was a central figure in the notorious case involving the assault of her biggest rival only weeks before the 1994 Winter Olympics. The scandal — a sudden and violent attack by a mystery man, accusations and denials, tabloid headlines — led to worldwide attention and, years later, a feature-length movie about Harding. But to Diallo, a 28-year-old French soccer player being led up a police station stairwell, the mention of her name — “Have you heard of Tonya Harding?” — produced only a blank stare.
Diallo would quickly learn, however, that police had reason to ask.
Harding’s rival, Nancy Kerrigan, had been attacked by a man who beat her on the legs in an attempt to keep her from competing. Now, in France, a generation later, police suspected a similar motive in an attack on Kheira Hamraoui, Diallo’s teammate, at the French club Paris St.-Germain. Hamraoui had been dragged out of Diallo’s car on a cold November night in 2021 and, like Kerrigan, beaten on her legs in a clear attempt to injure her.
It would take almost a year, and another spell in detention for Diallo, before the police officer’s offhand question became a formal accusation.
SNIP
Diallo’s guilt or innocence is no clearer today than it was that morning in the police station in Versailles. A trial date is yet to be announced. But the consequences continue to ripple outward.
(Excerpt) Read more at seattletimes.com ...
Both of the them were thrown off the team: The one allegedly behind the attack, and the woman who was in injured in the attack. I think in the Harding case, many people blamed Kerrigan more than Harding.
The accused isn't on the national team, but may not have made the team anyway.
But the victim is barred from the national team, because players from her former team blame her.
It seems to have ruined both of their careers.
I’m from Oregon and never heard of anyone blaming Kerrigan.
Harding was good, but had no straightforward way of surpassing Kerrigan, so she played rough. Figure skating ain’t rugby.
Wasn’t Harding the first woman to do a triple axel in competition?
Could be. SHe had strength, and was a “tough cookie” but Kerrigan had grace and consistently relegated Harding to second fiddle.
‘Harding was good, but had no straightforward way of surpassing Kerrigan...’
Kerrigan was lead pipe cinch to win...
Harding should have attacked Kristi Yamaguchi.
Why?
If you want to skate amd be violent, play hockey.
Wasn’t Harding the first woman to do a triple axel in competition?
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1st American woman.
The first female skater to successfully execute a triple axel in competition was Japanese skater Midori Ito in 1988. She was also the first woman to land it at an international competition and the first woman to land it at the Olympics in 1992.
why woudl they have blamed Kerrigan?
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