French Soccer Player Arrested following attack on Teammate: Harding / Kerrigan revisited?

A Paris St.-Germain women’s player was taken into custody by French investigators looking into a violent assault on a teammate who shares her position. As reported by many media outlets, Aminata Diallo was arrested following an attack by masked man on teammate Kheira Hamraoui.

The story brings back to light a similar incident from the world of figure skating’s past.

In 1994, figure skater Nancy Kerrigan was assaulted at that year’s United States championships in a plot orchestrated by the ex-husband of a rival skater, Tonya Harding. The attack occurred following a practice session by a man who hit her repeatedly in the legs with a police baton.

After Kerrigan was forced to withdraw from the championships because of her injuries, Harding won the competition and earned a place on the 1994 U.S. Olympic team. Kerrigan was later named to the team as well, and several weeks later she won the silver medal at the Lillehammer Games. Harding, who has long denied being involved in the attack but pleaded guilty to hindering prosecution, finished eighth.