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Canadian Figure Skaters Get Gold, Judge Banned
Yahoo ^ | 2/15/02 | Adrian Warner

Posted on 02/15/2002 10:49:42 AM PST by The_Victor

Canadian Figure Skaters Get Gold, Judge Banned
Fri Feb 15, 2:30 PM ET

By Adrian Warner

SALT LAKE CITY (Reuters) - Canada's Jamie Sale and David Pelletier will be awarded a gold medal in the Olympics pairs figure skating after a French judge in Monday's final was suspended for misconduct.

Photos

Reuters Photo
Slideshows
"The gold medal will be awarded to the Canadian pair," International Olympic Committee (news - web sites) (IOC) president Jacques Rogge told a news conference on Friday.

Rogge, seeking to put an end to a furor that has dominated the first week of the Games, said the Russian pair who won on Monday would keep their gold medal.

International Skating Union (news - web sites) (ISU) president Ottavio Cinquanta said French judge Marie-Reine Le Gougne had been suspended from the Winter Olympics (news - web sites). Le Gougne voted for Russian duo Yelena Berezhnaya and Anton Sikharulidze in the 5-4 split decision.

"We have suspended with immediate effect the judge of figure skating Mrs. Marie-Reine Le Gougne," Cinquanta told the joint news conference.

"The council got enough evidence that this individual was responsible for misconduct. They (the skaters) were not judged equally."

Cinquanta said le Gougne had "practically admitted" she had been put under pressure during a meeting at which the American referee Ron Pfenning had been present. Earlier this week, Cinquanta said Pfenning had handed him a letter containing "certain allegations".

He added if a judge received pressure at any time the referee had to be informed.

"This did not happen in the case of Mrs. Le Gougne," Cinquanta said.

He said a council meeting on Monday would decide how long the suspension would last.

Pelletier and Sale told Canadian television after the announcement that justice had been done.

"Everyone knows what we deserve and we know what we deserve and we are taking that home with us and that's all that matters," Sale said.

"This is not about us and the Russians, this is about the sport we love dearly and justice was done, and that is a good feeling," said Pelletier.

"I hope it's not going to stop the cleaning of (figure skating's) house here," he added.

Sale said: "We just want the truth to come out and I think for the future of our sport this had to be fixed."

Monday's decision sparked outrage in Canada and most neutral observers thought the title should have been awarded to the Canadian pair. The Canadian Olympic Association has appealed to the ISU to overturn the decision.

"This is truly a proud moment for all Canadians and a significant milestone in the sport of figure skating," said Skate Canada president Marilyn Chidlow.


TOPICS: Breaking News; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: canada; olympicslist
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I know most of this is old news, bu I haven't heard that the judge was banned for misconduct.
1 posted on 02/15/2002 10:49:43 AM PST by The_Victor
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To: The_Victor
Previous thread: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/fr/628766/posts
2 posted on 02/15/2002 10:51:08 AM PST by Maedhros
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To: The_Victor
Is it just me, or do others feel that the French judge was singled out for spilling the beans? There were obviously more than one corrupt judge, yet the one that came clean, gets sanctioned.

Somehow, my faith is not restored.

3 posted on 02/15/2002 10:54:32 AM PST by TC Rider
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To: mikhailovich
But I tell you this, my friend, if ANY collusion was involved, I'll be changing my tune, right here, publicly.

Well, let's hear it.

4 posted on 02/15/2002 10:56:09 AM PST by NittanyLion
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To: TC Rider
I'm with you. I think this is going to be swept under the rug, and the corruption will go on in the skating world.
5 posted on 02/15/2002 10:56:18 AM PST by Utah Girl
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To: TC Rider
"Is it just me, or do others feel that the French judge was singled out for spilling the beans? There were obviously more than one corrupt judge, yet the one that came clean, gets sanctioned.

Somehow, my faith is not restored.

DITTO. All involved should be punished.

6 posted on 02/15/2002 10:58:39 AM PST by blam
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To: The_Victor
Now both gold medals are meaningless. True justice would be to throw out all the scores cast by the French judge and recalculating all totals. Have another ceremony and award one gold, one silver, one bronze. If I were the Canadian team I would refuse to share the gold.
7 posted on 02/15/2002 11:08:50 AM PST by carmody
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To: TC Rider
apparently, the american referee saw intimidation of the french judge and did not see what happened with the other judges who may or may not be corrupt. They probably are, but you still need evidence. In the men's skate last night, I was flaberghasted by the marks the 3rd russian received. He received ordinals that ranged from 2 to 10. He finished 4th. The judges for the russian pair could be corrupt or simply incompetent. In the men's, the guy who voted with a 2 was australian and Scott Hamilton remarked "the australian judge is why we have nine judges". The judge who gave the guy a 10 (tenth place) was the judge from finland. I don't think there was corruption here, just incompetence.
8 posted on 02/15/2002 11:11:52 AM PST by staytrue
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Comment #9 Removed by Moderator

To: carmody
Right you are. And what about the four other judges that awarded higher points just like the French one. And the Western judges who gave artificially low marks to some non western skaters. The whole thing is a joke and doing this one thing will not clean it up. The bloc voting is so obvious and always has been. The french just loused it up for everyone, per usual.
10 posted on 02/15/2002 11:14:42 AM PST by cajungirl
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To: The_Victor
Hey, let's just give out Participation Ribbons to everyone and avoid messy situations like this.
;>)
11 posted on 02/15/2002 11:16:05 AM PST by randog
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To: randog
randog is right. Everyone is special, they all worked hard to get here and everyone participated. How about we give 'em all medals! Nice shiney gold ones so no one gets their feelings hurt...
12 posted on 02/15/2002 11:25:52 AM PST by Great_Dame
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Comment #13 Removed by Moderator

To: coteblanche
Can't we all be winners?

Or is that weiners....

14 posted on 02/15/2002 11:36:21 AM PST by Mr. Lucky
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To: TC Rider
Is it just me, or do others feel that the French judge was singled out for spilling the beans? There were obviously more than one corrupt judge, yet the one that came clean, gets sanctioned.

Somehow, my faith is not restored.

In a previous Winter Olympics, the French were represented by a female singles skates (Sonia B...., help me with the name someone, a black woman who was athletic enough to play for the NHL). She was an incredible skater, doing unbelievable maneuvers with grace, accuracy, and perfection...but what do I know, I'm not a judge.

Anyway, one of the announcers explained that she couldn't take the gold because she was too athletic to appeal to the judges. That's when I lost interest. How can someone be too athletic to win a sports award?

The only way to stop this judging nonsense is to stick to sports. Who can do the most or most complicated turns, jumps, etc., who can skate the fastest, the farthest, whatever...things that are measured or scored. Forget style points in skating, and skiing, gymnastics...let these events evolve and let people be as ugly as they want at achieving the goal. (The NFL doesn't award extra points for graceful touchdowns.)

Then, I'll be interested again; when it's a sport. And that French judge...blaming someone else for throwing a vote...geesh...did they have a gun to her head; JUST SAY NO!!!

15 posted on 02/15/2002 11:42:31 AM PST by grania
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To: carmody
Any event in the Olympics that can not be won with everyone observing and seeing a clearcut winner is subject to politics. This decision really boils down to politics and can do nothing more than hurt events that are judged by individuals.No events like these should be held in the political climate of today and not expected to be partisian. It just cant be pulled off and not be questioned.
16 posted on 02/15/2002 11:42:45 AM PST by gunnedah
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To: All
Down with cheese-eating, surrender-monkey, Euro-trash, skating judges!!
17 posted on 02/15/2002 11:46:22 AM PST by Cornjonny
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To: coteblanche
Hey, let's just give out Participation Ribbons to everyone and avoid messy situations like this. Like this? ;-) BUMPARAMA!!!!!Where do I get one of those?
18 posted on 02/15/2002 11:47:51 AM PST by leilani
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To: The_Victor, Olympics List
Ping
19 posted on 02/15/2002 11:51:18 AM PST by codebreaker
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Comment #20 Removed by Moderator


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