Tanya Harding

{{Short description|Australian softball player}} {{For|the American figure skater|Tonya Harding}} {{Use Australian English|date=October 2018}} {{Use dmy dates|date=January 2021}} {{MedalTableTop||150px}} {{MedalSport | Women's Softball}} {{MedalCountry | {{AUS}} }} {{MedalCompetition|Olympic Games}} {{MedalBronze|1996 Atlanta|Team}} {{MedalBronze|2000 Sydney|Team}} {{MedalSilver|2004 Athens|Team}} {{MedalBronze|2008 Beijing|Team}} {{MedalBottom}}

'''Tanya Victoria Harding''' (born 23 January 1972 in Brisbane, Queensland) is an Australian softball player. She competed for Australia for four consecutive Summer Olympics, starting in 1996. Three times she claimed a bronze medal (1996, 2000, 2008), and once a silver medal (2004).

==Playing career==

The Queenslander was ranked in the top five pitchers in the world for over a decade.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://corporate.olympics.com.au/athlete/tanya-harding|title=Australian Olympic Committee: Tanya Harding|website=corporate.olympics.com.au}}</ref>

In 1995, Harding enrolled at UCLA for one quarter. She played on the squad that won the NCAA women's softball championships, and was named MVP of the tournament.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.hickoksports.com/history/ncasoftb.shtml |title=NCAA Division I Softball Championships |accessdate=22 October 2006 |url-status=dead |archive-url=http://webarchive.loc.gov/all/20020223000355/http://www.hickoksports.com/history/ncasoftb.shtml |archive-date=23 February 2002 }}</ref> After UCLA captured the NCAA National Championship, Harding returned to her homeland without taking final exams or earning a single college credit.<ref>{{cite news | title= SPORTS PEOPLE: WOMEN'S SOFTBALL;'Not a Hired Gun,' Says Tanya Harding | date=13 June 1995 | url =https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=980DE7D91639F930A35755C0A963958260 | work = The New York Times| accessdate = 22 October 2006 }}</ref>

However, in 1997 UCLA was stripped of its 1995 title for scholarship violations. Three softball players had been granted soccer scholarships, putting the Bruins three over the limit for softball. Although the three players involved were not identified, it was believed that one of them was Harding.<ref>[http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2003/Sep/06/sp/sp06a.html Hawai'i's not the first to vacate NCAA title]. ''The Honolulu Advertiser'', 6 September 2003.</ref> Runner-up Arizona was not declared the champion, as there was no way to determine if Arizona would have won had Harding not been involved. Officially, there is no champion for 1995.

In 2022, she was inducted into Sport Australia Hall of Fame.<ref>{{Cite web |date=13 October 2022 |title=2022 SAHOF Inductees & Award Winners |url=https://sahof.org.au/2022-sahof-inductees-award-winners/ |access-date=16 October 2022 |website=Sport Australia Hall of Fame}}</ref>

==Notes== {{Reflist|30em}}

==External links== * [https://web.archive.org/web/20080718165723/http://www.tanyaharding.com.au/ Official website] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20200417044416/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ha/tanya-harding-1.html sports-reference] * [https://www.ncaa.com/history/softball-d1.html NCAA Official History Division 1 Softball Champions]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Harding, Tanya}} Category:1972 births Category:Living people Category:Australian softball players Category:Medalists at the 1996 Summer Olympics Category:Medalists at the 2000 Summer Olympics Category:Medalists at the 2004 Summer Olympics Category:Medalists at the 2008 Summer Olympics Category:Olympic medalists in softball Category:Olympic softball players for Australia Category:Olympic silver medalists for Australia Category:Olympic bronze medalists for Australia Category:Softball players at the 1996 Summer Olympics Category:Softball players at the 2000 Summer Olympics Category:Softball players at the 2004 Summer Olympics Category:Softball players at the 2008 Summer Olympics Category:Softball players from Brisbane Category:Sportswomen from Queensland Category:UCLA Bruins softball players Category:Women's College World Series Most Outstanding Player Award winners Category:Sport Australia Hall of Fame inductees Category:21st-century Australian sportswomen