Washington, Friday

THREE men have now been arrested in the case of the attack on skating

champion Nancy Kerrigan.

They include Shawn Eckardt, who was bodyguard to Miss Kerrigan's

rival, Tonya Harding, and Shane Stant who allegedly hit Kerrigan on the

knee with a steel club on January 6.

The purpose of the attack was to put Kerrigan out of the running for

the US Olympic team in Norway. She was the favourite for the women's

figure skating event, and Harding was her closest rival. Eckardt has

reportedly confessed to the plot, telling police that it was hatched by

Harding's former husband, Jeff Gillooly.

Gillooly was not arrested, like the others. He has gone into seclusion

with Harding and police have yet to say whether they will arrest him, or

her, or both.

Police spokesmen in Detroit, where the attack took place, and Oregon,

where the alleged plotters live, have said Harding was not involved in

the plot but other unofficial reports maintain she ordered it.

Harding and Gillooly claim they were divorced by mistake, that they

quarrelled, started divorce proceedings and were then reconciled --

without stopping the divorce, which came through last August. They have

continued to live together, and plan to remarry.

They live in Portland, Oregon, and that was where Eckardt was arrested

yesterday. A second suspect, Derrick Smith, flew in from Phoenix,

Arizona, and was arrested that night and the alleged hit man, Shane

Stant, gave himself up in Los Angeles. Eckardt has reportedly told

police that Stant was recruited by Smith, and was to be paid $100,000

for the deed.

The money would presumably have been paid if Harding won the Olympic

gold medal next month.