mojo
02-14-2002, 03:49 PM
http://www.smh.com.au/news/0202/14/sport/sport102.html
Inquiry into pairs medal as anger mounts over gold
Canada will appeal against the judges' decision to award the figure skating pairs gold medal to Russia's Elena Berezhnaya and Anton Sikharulidze ahead of Canadians Jamie Sale and David Pelletier.
The French judge has said her federation intructed her to vote for the Russians in order to get a vote for France in a later event.
Canadian Olympic Committee president Michael Chambers says the appeal is being prepared and will be with the International Skating Union before its council meeting next Monday, when it considers an allegation of wrongdoing against an unnamed judge.
But figure skating's ruling body, the International Skating Union, says it cannot change the result of the competition.
Meanwhile, a day of reflection did nothing to dull the anger of Canadians over the medal decision.
The initial national howl of protest evolved into a resonant rumble on Wednesday that included one suggestion to consider boycotting future figure skating events.
"Scandal on Ice" proclaimed the Winnipeg Free Press.
Sale's mother, Patti Siegel, got choked up at a news conference while expressing appreciation for the worldwide support for her daughter and Pelletier.
"That's what makes me cry, not just the result but the reaction of the world to it," she said in Edmonton.
Siegel refused to get into allegations about the judges, and when pressed, responded: "It doesn't anger me and I don't want to dwell on it. It's done."
Others weren't so sure.
Eric Morse, the former editor of the Canadian Olympic newsletter, called for Canada to seriously consider boycotting future international figure skating events until the judging system was changed.
He said the current focus on the issue provided an opportunity for reform.
"Strike while the iron is hot," Morse said.
Expressions of protest appeared everywhere: in newspaper headlines, on radio and television, and even at a rock concert.
The story topped the front page of both national daily newspapers on Wednesday and dominated coverage.
All agreed that Sale and Pelletier skated a flawless performance that deserved to win, and that the judging was either inept, corrupt or both.
They also praised the Canadians for displaying dignity by expressing pleasure in having done their best, no matter the result.
Still, the anger was evident.
"In the eyes of the vast majority of observers, including those who have been around the sport of skating for many years, Sale and Pelletier were hosed Monday," wrote Dave Stubbs in the Montreal Gazette newspaper.
At the sold-out Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young concert Tuesday night at Toronto's Air Canada Center, Stephen Stills got a big cheer when he held up a handmade sign that said: "Jamie and David, you wuz robbed."
Judge accused of wrongdoing
A judge in the controversial Winter Games pairs figure skating has been accused of wrong-doing by an American referee in charge of the Salt Lake City competition.
International Skating Union president Ottavio Cinquanta said the written allegation against the judge would be heard by the ISU council next Monday.
The ISU president said he had spoken to the judge, who he refused to name.
"I have an allegation, not proof. I have a denial," said Cinquanta during a stormy 80 minute press conference made up mainly of American and Canadian journalists.
Cinquanta added that the result of the event would not be changed regardless of the investigation's outcome.
"I do not have the power to change the result. We cannot change the result of the competition," he said.
But he vowed tough action if the allegation was correct.
"The ISU has shown in the past it can be very tough. We want to act properly. If we find anything wrong we will be very, very tough," he said.
The 5-4 decision by the judges to award the gold to the Russian pair of Elena Berezhnaya and Anton Sikharulidze over the Canadian world champion duo of Jamie Sale and David Pelletier brought howls of protest from the spectators and claims of vote dealing.
One newspaper accused a French judge of agreeing to support the Russians in return for the French ice dance pair of Marina Anissina and Gwendal Peizerat winning gold in Saturday's competition.
Cinquanta, who refused to go into details about the complaint from American referee Ronald Pfenning, did however confirm it did not involve vote swapping and that the complaint had nothing to do with the ice dancing competition.
IOC sources have told AFP that there was collusion amongst the judges.
"I have been told by someone who was there when it was agreed the Russians, barring a major accident, would get the gold," one IOC source said on Tuesday.
The barrage of complaints about the result of the competition forced the ISU to set up a special internal investigation to see if rules and procedures had been respected.
Cinquanta, who at times was booed and hissed by sections of the media at his press conference, accepted that the outcry over the pairs figure skating result had damaged the sport.
"I was, and am, embarrassed. I regret that we have had a loss of credibility," he said.
"Do not forget we have tried for more than 50 years to improve the system. From today we have to double our effort."
But Cinquanta hit out at suggestions that the public was convinced the Canadian pair had won.
When quizzed by one journalist that the public felt cheated he snapped back: "Have you telephoned Russia. It's not the opinion in Russia."
He added that he would never let the public act as the judge in skating.
Cinquanta said he would present a review of the judging system before the ISU council next week but warned that judges could still make errors.
"Judges can and do make mistakes. Everyone can make mistakes," he said.
Inquiry into pairs medal as anger mounts over gold
Canada will appeal against the judges' decision to award the figure skating pairs gold medal to Russia's Elena Berezhnaya and Anton Sikharulidze ahead of Canadians Jamie Sale and David Pelletier.
The French judge has said her federation intructed her to vote for the Russians in order to get a vote for France in a later event.
Canadian Olympic Committee president Michael Chambers says the appeal is being prepared and will be with the International Skating Union before its council meeting next Monday, when it considers an allegation of wrongdoing against an unnamed judge.
But figure skating's ruling body, the International Skating Union, says it cannot change the result of the competition.
Meanwhile, a day of reflection did nothing to dull the anger of Canadians over the medal decision.
The initial national howl of protest evolved into a resonant rumble on Wednesday that included one suggestion to consider boycotting future figure skating events.
"Scandal on Ice" proclaimed the Winnipeg Free Press.
Sale's mother, Patti Siegel, got choked up at a news conference while expressing appreciation for the worldwide support for her daughter and Pelletier.
"That's what makes me cry, not just the result but the reaction of the world to it," she said in Edmonton.
Siegel refused to get into allegations about the judges, and when pressed, responded: "It doesn't anger me and I don't want to dwell on it. It's done."
Others weren't so sure.
Eric Morse, the former editor of the Canadian Olympic newsletter, called for Canada to seriously consider boycotting future international figure skating events until the judging system was changed.
He said the current focus on the issue provided an opportunity for reform.
"Strike while the iron is hot," Morse said.
Expressions of protest appeared everywhere: in newspaper headlines, on radio and television, and even at a rock concert.
The story topped the front page of both national daily newspapers on Wednesday and dominated coverage.
All agreed that Sale and Pelletier skated a flawless performance that deserved to win, and that the judging was either inept, corrupt or both.
They also praised the Canadians for displaying dignity by expressing pleasure in having done their best, no matter the result.
Still, the anger was evident.
"In the eyes of the vast majority of observers, including those who have been around the sport of skating for many years, Sale and Pelletier were hosed Monday," wrote Dave Stubbs in the Montreal Gazette newspaper.
At the sold-out Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young concert Tuesday night at Toronto's Air Canada Center, Stephen Stills got a big cheer when he held up a handmade sign that said: "Jamie and David, you wuz robbed."
Judge accused of wrongdoing
A judge in the controversial Winter Games pairs figure skating has been accused of wrong-doing by an American referee in charge of the Salt Lake City competition.
International Skating Union president Ottavio Cinquanta said the written allegation against the judge would be heard by the ISU council next Monday.
The ISU president said he had spoken to the judge, who he refused to name.
"I have an allegation, not proof. I have a denial," said Cinquanta during a stormy 80 minute press conference made up mainly of American and Canadian journalists.
Cinquanta added that the result of the event would not be changed regardless of the investigation's outcome.
"I do not have the power to change the result. We cannot change the result of the competition," he said.
But he vowed tough action if the allegation was correct.
"The ISU has shown in the past it can be very tough. We want to act properly. If we find anything wrong we will be very, very tough," he said.
The 5-4 decision by the judges to award the gold to the Russian pair of Elena Berezhnaya and Anton Sikharulidze over the Canadian world champion duo of Jamie Sale and David Pelletier brought howls of protest from the spectators and claims of vote dealing.
One newspaper accused a French judge of agreeing to support the Russians in return for the French ice dance pair of Marina Anissina and Gwendal Peizerat winning gold in Saturday's competition.
Cinquanta, who refused to go into details about the complaint from American referee Ronald Pfenning, did however confirm it did not involve vote swapping and that the complaint had nothing to do with the ice dancing competition.
IOC sources have told AFP that there was collusion amongst the judges.
"I have been told by someone who was there when it was agreed the Russians, barring a major accident, would get the gold," one IOC source said on Tuesday.
The barrage of complaints about the result of the competition forced the ISU to set up a special internal investigation to see if rules and procedures had been respected.
Cinquanta, who at times was booed and hissed by sections of the media at his press conference, accepted that the outcry over the pairs figure skating result had damaged the sport.
"I was, and am, embarrassed. I regret that we have had a loss of credibility," he said.
"Do not forget we have tried for more than 50 years to improve the system. From today we have to double our effort."
But Cinquanta hit out at suggestions that the public was convinced the Canadian pair had won.
When quizzed by one journalist that the public felt cheated he snapped back: "Have you telephoned Russia. It's not the opinion in Russia."
He added that he would never let the public act as the judge in skating.
Cinquanta said he would present a review of the judging system before the ISU council next week but warned that judges could still make errors.
"Judges can and do make mistakes. Everyone can make mistakes," he said.