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_____tonya's trials
HOW A SKATING CHAMPION BECAME A WRESTLING MANAGER, FAILED SINGER AND VIDEO POKER ADDICT.

BY JANE MEREDITH ADAMS
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PORTLAND, Ore. -- Tonya Harding's appearance on Fox television this Thursday will mark one of the few respites from a tawdry hell the 27-year-old former skating champion has been inhabiting for the past few years.
Mostly, it's spent in the Sidelines sports bar, where Harding has staked a claim on the fourth bar stool in front of the video poker machines.
"Three, four, five days a week," says the bartender.
Harding feeds fives, tens and twenties into the video poker machine for hours, often playing alone, sometimes accompanied by a middle-aged woman Harding has unofficially adopted as her mother. Burning through money that comes from Lord-knows-where, she puffs Marlboro Lights, drinks Baileys mixed with a chocolate liqueur and tries to ignore patrons who consider her the antichrist of American sports, Olympic integrity and clean-cut Oregon pride.
There is a poignancy in watching a brilliantly talented individual -- the two-time Olympic contender and 1991 U.S. national and world champion could definitely skate -- repeatedly slide back into to the seedy, lonely life from which world-class skating once promised to deliver her. Even in her tough-girl pose, Harding has a sweetness, and a vulnerable, I've-been-abused face. She makes people want to help her, and for years, many have tried.
These are patient people: coaches who've had a stake in her success, agents who want to cash in on her and co-dependent fans who believe they can offer the parental guidance she never received from her dysfunctional family. And almost to a person, she burns them out. The final goodbye is often delivered by Harding in a screaming fit.
Her 1994 entourage, some of whom served jail time, has been replaced by Linda Lewis, 51, a born-again Christian singer who now acts as Harding's unofficial manager. Harding calls her "Mom" and moved to Vancouver, Wash., across the bridge from Portland, in part because that's where Lewis lives.
When she isn't gambling, smoking or drinking, Harding, in theory, is staging a comeback. "She'd like a future in skating professionally," says Lewis. "We know America's a forgiving nation and we hope things will turn around for her. She did her community service. She paid her fines. I think the double standard has to stop. There's one set of rules for men and one for women."
N E X T+P A G E+| An indelible badge of shame

PHOTO BY CHRIS COLE/ALLSPORT
Archived images are provided by Allsport Photography USA, Inc. all rights reserved, any redistribution, resale, re-print or other use is strictly prohibited without written consent from Allsport Photography USA, Inc. directly.

T A B L E+T A L K Is support for abortion rights declining, and if so, why? Join the "Aborting abortion" debate in Politics R E C E N T L Y Application to Have Sex With the President By Charlie Varon and Jim Rosenau (01/30/98) Defending the right to pry By Richard Rodriguez Why the private life of public people matters (01/29/98) Beat it By Michael Datcher Domestic violence, not drugs or racism, is the biggest problem confronting African-American youths (01/28/98) The grand inquisitor By Bruce Shapiro Kenneth Starr holds a lot of cards, but he's playing a weak hand, and the public may turn against him (01/27/98) Snowblind By Tomas Jacobsson Why champion snowboarders are thumbing their noses at the Olympics "Mafia" (01/26/98) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Browse the Newsreal Archives - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
		_____tonya's trials HOW A SKATING CHAMPION BECAME A WRESTLING MANAGER, FAILED SINGER AND VIDEO POKER ADDICT. BY JANE MEREDITH ADAMS - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - PORTLAND, Ore. -- Tonya Harding's appearance on Fox television this Thursday will mark one of the few respites from a tawdry hell the 27-year-old former skating champion has been inhabiting for the past few years. Mostly, it's spent in the Sidelines sports bar, where Harding has staked a claim on the fourth bar stool in front of the video poker machines. "Three, four, five days a week," says the bartender. Harding feeds fives, tens and twenties into the video poker machine for hours, often playing alone, sometimes accompanied by a middle-aged woman Harding has unofficially adopted as her mother. Burning through money that comes from Lord-knows-where, she puffs Marlboro Lights, drinks Baileys mixed with a chocolate liqueur and tries to ignore patrons who consider her the antichrist of American sports, Olympic integrity and clean-cut Oregon pride. There is a poignancy in watching a brilliantly talented individual -- the two-time Olympic contender and 1991 U.S. national and world champion could definitely skate -- repeatedly slide back into to the seedy, lonely life from which world-class skating once promised to deliver her. Even in her tough-girl pose, Harding has a sweetness, and a vulnerable, I've-been-abused face. She makes people want to help her, and for years, many have tried. These are patient people: coaches who've had a stake in her success, agents who want to cash in on her and co-dependent fans who believe they can offer the parental guidance she never received from her dysfunctional family. And almost to a person, she burns them out. The final goodbye is often delivered by Harding in a screaming fit. Her 1994 entourage, some of whom served jail time, has been replaced by Linda Lewis, 51, a born-again Christian singer who now acts as Harding's unofficial manager. Harding calls her "Mom" and moved to Vancouver, Wash., across the bridge from Portland, in part because that's where Lewis lives. When she isn't gambling, smoking or drinking, Harding, in theory, is staging a comeback. "She'd like a future in skating professionally," says Lewis. "We know America's a forgiving nation and we hope things will turn around for her. She did her community service. She paid her fines. I think the double standard has to stop. There's one set of rules for men and one for women." N E X T+P A G E+\| An indelible badge of shame PHOTO BY CHRIS COLE/ALLSPORT Archived images are provided by Allsport Photography USA, Inc. all rights reserved, any redistribution, resale, re-print or other use is strictly prohibited without written consent from Allsport Photography USA, Inc. directly.