Harding Camp Says She Denies Involvement

Members of Tonya Harding’s camp came forward Sunday to say the young ice skater “categorically denies” accusations that she was involved in an assault on one of her rivals and that she would not quit in her quest for the Olympic gold.

Meanwhile, U.S. Olympic Committee officials, who appeared Saturday to be moving toward a decision to remove Harding from the U.S. team for the Feb. 12-27 Winter Games in Norway, decided during a meeting Sunday in Durham, N.C., to defer--at least temporarily--to the U.S. Figure Skating Assn.

Paul George, an executive committee member who represents figure skating, said it is premature to speculate about Harding’s Olympic status until more is known about what role, if any, she played in the Jan. 6 attack on rival Nancy Kerrigan.

But one USOC executive committee member who did not want to be identified said, “I think she’ll be off the team within a week.”

Making the first public statement on Harding’s behalf, Diane Rawlinson, the skater’s coach, said Harding is “shocked and angry” that men around her may have been involved in plotting and carrying out the attack.

News reports citing unnamed sources have alleged that Harding knew about the plot to hurt Kerrigan, and that the plot was planned by her ex-husband, Jeff Gillooly, who lives with Harding.

Gillooly hasn’t been charged.

Harding’s bodyguard, Shawn Eric Eckardt, and two other men have been charged with conspiracy to assault Kerrigan.

Harding was to resume training today, and her coach said she sent a sympathetic letter to Kerrigan, who returned to practice Sunday.

“There are two victims in this horrible situation,” Rawlinson said at a crowded press conference outside her house. “Nancy, of course. But Tonya is also a victim. Tonya will not be in line to make the kind of money from endorsements she would have been in line to make.”

Rawlinson was joined by her husband, attorney Dennis Rawlinson, who has acted as one of Harding’s attorneys in the matter. Dennis Rawlinson read a statement before his wife took questions:

“Tonya Harding categorically denies all accusations and media speculation that she was involved in any way in the assault. Tonya is shocked and angry that anyone close to her might be involved. She is pleased to see that Nancy Kerrigan is recovering quickly.

“Tonya is beginning the most important month of the most important year of her life. She wants to represent her country in the Olympics. She needs her fans’ support and their prayers.”

Diane Rawlinson said Harding was to meet privately with prosecutors in the case Sunday and was “excited” at the opportunity to move the case along. But deputy Multnomah County prosector Norm Frink said repeated efforts to arrange such a meeting with Harding have been unsuccessful.

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“We would like to talk to them (Harding and Gillooly), but I’m unaware of any plans to do so,” Frink said.

Diane Rawlinson said she did not know if Gillooly had a role in the plot.

“I’d like to believe that Jeff is innocent,” she said. “I don’t know Jeff as well as I know Tonya.”

She added: “Tonya absolutely believes Jeff is innocent. If she discovers anything different from that she will distance herself from him.”

Diane Rawlinson repeatedly said Harding will not voluntarily withdraw from the Olympics competition in Norway.

“Tonya is innocent. She won nationals. She trained hard and she deserves to go,” she said.

“The U.S. team will be the strongest with Nancy and Tonya on the team. Tonya skates best when she is upset.”

The contents of Harding’s letter to Kerrigan were not disclosed, but her coach said Harding wrote that she was “very sorry this whole thing happened.”

Kerrigan’s coach, Evy Scotvold, said he was not aware of Kerrigan receiving a letter from Harding.

Kerrigan did not comment, but a statement said she returned to the rink for a training session for the first time since she was injured.

To avoid a media crush, she chose the unorthodox hour of 2 a.m. EST Sunday.

“My knee was a little stiff, and it took some time to get loosened up,” she said in the statement. “But it felt good to be on the ice again.”

As the first alternate, Michelle Kwan, 13, of Torrance, will compete in the Olympics if either Harding or Kerrigan drops out. Kwan finished second to Harding in the recent national championships in Detroit, where Kerrigan was attacked.

At the conclusion of a two-day executive committee meeting in Durham, the USOC’s president, Dr. LeRoy Walker, said he expects the U.S. Figure Skating Assn. to decide within a few days whether to recommend Harding’s dismissal from the Olympic team.

But he added that the USOC is the final authority in determining which athletes will represent the United States in Norway.

Although he said legal counsel advised him to back away from his statement Saturday that action might be taken against Harding “without the consideration of whether or not her rights have been abridged,” he repeated that her guilt or innocence in the plot to injure Kerrigan will not be the only factor in the USOC’s decision.

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“It will be based on the information we get from officials in law enforcement, it will be based on our rules and regulations, and it will be based on what we think will be the best possible environment for our athletes,” he said. “The best situation for our athletes is the bottom line.”

USOC officials are concerned that Harding’s presence in Norway will create such a media feeding frenzy that the other athletes’ security and concentration will be compromised.

If Harding is dropped from the team, USOC bylaws allow her to seek reinstatement through the American Arbitration Assn.

“The easy way would be for her to quit, but I don’t think that will happen,” Walker said.

Balzar reported from Portland and Harvey from Los Angeles.