If I could've, I'd have put her in a glass case
or something and so that nobody could
talk to her or see her.
Al Harding is Tonya's dad.
In one short month he has seen his
and his daughter's Olympic dream almost disappear.
There's nothing I can do.
I feel so helpless.
All I can do is tell her how much I love her
and I'm behind her whatever she does.
A father in turmoil.
A father who wants to believe and does,
in the innocence of his daughter.
Al Harding knows her well.
When Tonya left the house she shared with her ex-husband,
Jeff Gillooly, it was Al she turned to.
Together at his home, they watched as Tonya
was put on trial by the media and much of the public
without any charges ever being brought against her.
Have you cried for her, Al?
No, there's been a few times comes close.
Don't tell 'em I ever cried when she wins.
The unique relationship
between a father and daughter.
For the Hardings it was the difficult times
that brought them closer together.
Al and Tonya's mom, Sandy, gave up everything
to help their little girl fulfill her childhood dream
of being an Olympic figure skater.
They sold their house, moved into a trailer,
and could barely afford to eat.
I taught her right from the beginning,
you know, that we're not out there shooting
one of these deer just to be able to say we shot a deer.
You know, we need it for meat so we can live.
So it didn't really bother her much
that we were shooting a beautiful animal.
'Cause they are awful pretty animals.
And then she seen Bambi.
The movie.
Yeah.
She wouldn't go huntin' after that.
When Tonya was 15, her parents got a divorce.
She and Al remained close.
They fished, hunted and fixed cars together.
She continued to skate.
But she was developing a reputation as a young lady
who wasn't afraid to speak her mind.
I would like to have another triple flip
or another triple axel in the program.
You won't get it.
Don't do this to me today.
And on her way to the nationals,
this strong willed competitor vowed to, in her own words,
kick some butt.
She got a lot of ink when she came out and said
she was gonna kick some butt or whip some butt.
What's your opinion of what she said there?
Well I knew she was.
And this just happens to be a little phrase
that she happens to have.
But that doesn't make her a vulgar, nasty, mean, dirty girl.
Well there are those who would say
that's not a lady-like thing to say.
Oh well yeah, but those are also the people
that don't know how to change
a spark plug in a truck, either.
Go away.
Al has nothing to say
about the ongoing investigation of Tonya.
Nor will he comment about Jeff's accusation
that she was involved.
However he does say that he had some serious reservations
about Jeff earlier in the relationship.
I didn't even like it
when they first started seeing each other.
Because that was, to me he was interfering with her career.
You know, I didn't like him because he was a bad guy.
I didn't like him because he was interfering
with my daughter's career.
But he stopped short of giving specifics.
In the last month, Tonya's career
has been to say the least, a rollercoaster ride.
But it appears that somehow Tonya has managed
to remain focused and is determined as ever.
But her dad says all is not as it seems.
You've known this woman since she was a little girl.
Can you give me any idea of what this whole situation
is doing to her emotionally?
I think it's tearing her apart.
Fact that the way things have happened,
and it's because of people that were so close to her.
People that she really loved.
And I know it's tearing her apart inside.
That she would think that she couldn't been so wronged.
Are you angry?
Yeah, I'm angry.
I'm angry at some people.
And it really hurts.
It hurts down inside.
It's okay.
What does that do to you to see your daughter?
Oh, it tears me apart too.
I just, I can't even think straight sometimes.
What would happen if she doesn't
get to go to the Olympics?
That would just devastate her.
And me.
'Cause I know this is, this is the big skate of her life.
And it would just tear her apart.
AL says that the greatest moment in his life
would be to see Tonya get the gold.
For the simple machinist, it would be one final
happy chapter in a story the world's
greatest novelists couldn't have concocted.
She's just gonna go do her thing.
And then she's gonna bring back that gold metal to Portland.
Who's the best figure skater in the world, Al?
Tonya Harding.
No doubt, no reservation.
No doubt about it in my mind at all.