FIGURE, ANOTHER COMPETITION
Former figure skating rivals Nancy Kerrigan and Tonya Harding will soon find themselves in awkward competition again: putting their moves to the test on “Dancing with the Stars.” And Harding, who was just announced as one of the show’s latest contestants, is apparently bracing herself to be held up to the standard our Stoneham sweetheart already set.
“You know, I know that there’s going to be comparisons (to Kerrigan), and that’s perfectly fine,” Harding told E! News.
The skater, who’s snuck her way back into the spotlight after the release of “I, Tonya,” seems to be playing it cool with regards to the inevitable comparisons to Kerrigan, who participated in Season 24.
The ladies’ past has been notably icy, thanks to the infamous 1994 ambush that Harding’s ex-husband, Jeff Gillooly, coordinated, having Kerrigan hit in the knee with a police baton. So it’s only natural that fans will be keeping tabs on Harding’s performance compared to how Kerrigan fared when she tied with Nick Viall for sixth/seventh place.
In addition to Harding, the crop of 10 competitors who will try to twirl their way to victory starting next Monday includes: beloved Olympic skater Adam Rippon, ex-NBA star Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Washington Redskins cornerback Josh Norman and Notre Dame basketball star Arike Ogunbowale.
The retired skater’s real concern for the upcoming season is apparently Johnny Damon, who we remember quite well here in the Hub. The former Red Sox outfielder is paired up with Emma Slater, who’s married to Harding’s own partner, Sasha Farber.
“I just want to go out and we will do the best that we can, and hopefully beat (Farber’s) wife. That’s the important part, I guess,” Harding said, adding that her major cause for concern is not the dancing per se, but rather the potential to trip.