Canada skaters get their gold, too

  • Steve Wilstein / Associated Press
  • Friday, February 15, 2002 9:00pm
  • Sports

By Steve Wilstein

Associated Press

SALT LAKE CITY – The Canadians got their gold after all, not on the ice but in a late-night deal struck in a hotel suite.

There are two Olympic pairs champions now, both their medals tarnished, perhaps, but not as much as figure skating itself after the biggest judging scandal of the Winter Games.

The extraordinary deal that awarded Jamie Sale and David Pelletier gold medals capped a furious debate that had engulfed the Games for nearly a week.

The agreement allows Russians Elena Berezhnaya and Anton Sikharulidze to keep their gold medals, narrowly won during Monday night’s free-skate program.

“Justice was done,” Pelletier said. “It doesn’t take away anything from Elena and Anton. This was not something against them. It was something against the system.”

Ottavio Cinquanta, head of the International Skating Union, said judge Marie-Reine Le Gougne of France told the skating union she was under “a certain pressure” to vote for the Russians, leaving the Canadians with the silver.

When asked after a news conference whether the pressure came from the French federation, Cinquanta replied, “This is the allegation.”

Le Gougne was suspended indefinitely and has signed a statement about how she reached her vote, Cinquanta said. There was no evidence of Russian involvement, he added, without giving further details about Le Gougne’s motivation.

“This pressure resulted in putting this judge in a condition not to give the gold medal” to the Canadians, Cinquanta said. “We have declared misconduct.”

The French federation denied it put pressure on Le Gougne, who had checked out of her hotel in Salt Lake City. International Skating Union rules prohibit her from discussing her votes publicly.

Cinquanta said he hoped to present Sale and Pelletier with their gold medals on Thursday before the start of the women’s long program.

“We do hope we can get the bronze, too, so we can get the entire collection,” Pelletier said, laughing.

Sale said she hopes the investigation goes even further.

“For the future of our sport, this has to be fixed,” she said. “The truth still has to come out.”

Cinquanta met with International Skating Union members to carve out the decision in a downtown hotel after the men’s program Thursday night. He skirted questions about who exactly pressured Le Gougne, and why. But he suggested that other officials might be punished and that the sport will undertake a long-needed overhaul of the judging system.

“The investigation is not concluded,” he said, “but we have got enough evidence to take the first decision.”

Sale said she felt cheated out of her greatest Olympic moment when she and Pelletier weren’t able to stand on the top step of the medals podium.

“That’s what every Olympian dreams of, and that’s all I’ve dreamt of my whole life,” she said. “I visualized being in the middle and hearing my anthem. I was prepared for it, emotionally and physically.

“You bet I was cheated out of that, big time.”

The controversy began when Berezhnaya and Sikharulidze were awarded a 5-4 decision over the Canadians at the free skate, surprising most observers. Sale and Pelletier skated flawlessly, while the Russians made several technical errors.

The victory allowed the Russians to extend their streak of winning gold in the pairs in every Olympics since 1964.

The controversy renewed complaints over the subjectivity of judging and brought to mind the Cold War era, when many competitors suspected that medals were sometimes awarded on the basis of politics.

Sikharulidze reacted bitterly to the decision.

“The media is making us like bad guys. We are not bad guys. We never talked to judges. I don’t have enough money to buy nine judges,” he said. “We are good skaters and we are good guys. I can’t really enjoy this. … I can’t even talk to my parents about this.”

In Washington, D.C., President Bush said, “I do think it’s the right thing to award two gold medals for the skaters.” Russian Deputy Prime Minister Valentina Matviyenko said she was upset the scandal has taken the luster off her country’s victory.

The Canadians, meanwhile, were “heartened and encouraged” that the investigation is not over, Marilyn Chidlow, president of Skate Canada, said.

When the decision was announced, a cheer went up at the Canadian Olympic Lodge that serves as a hospitality house in downtown Salt Lake City. Fans soon gathered to sing the national anthem.

“Welcome to Canada and welcome to our gold!” volunteer Tom McAfee yelled to visitors as they entered.

Responding to a recommendation from the International Skating Union, the IOC’s executive board voted 7-1 on Friday morning, with one abstention, to give the Canadians the gold.

“We took a position that is one of justice and fairness for the athletes,” new IOC president Jacques Rogge said.

Russian member Vitaly Smirnov abstained from the vote, while He Zhenliang of China voted against the recommendation, according to an Olympic source who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The head of the Russian Figure Skating Federation criticized the IOC’s move.

“This is an unprecedented decision that turned out to be a result of pressure by the North American press, and turned out in favor of the fanatically loyal” fans, Valentin Piseyev told Russia’s NTV television.

Cinquanta acknowledged that “public opinion helped a great deal” in influencing the skating union’s action. “That’s a good thing,” he added.

The IOC decision was not unprecedented. Duplicate medals have been awarded four times. The latest was in 1993, when the committee gave a second gold medal in synchronized swimming from the Barcelona Games to Canada’s Sylvie Frechette.

“We hope it doesn’t happen again,” said Rogge, at his first Olympics after replacing IOC president Juan Antonio Samaranch in July.

Some people questioned whether the Canadians’ victory would tarnish what it means to win gold.

“There will be an asterisk,” said Stephen Harris, associate editor of the Journal of Olympic History. “Everybody who wins a gold medal now, when it’s not decided by speed or time, they will always second-guess it.”

Skaters have been complaining about politics and biased judges for decades, and some believe this decision will open the way to many athletes challenging judges’ votes.

“I think this kind of a situation is going to have repercussions in other disciplines,” said Ivan Rezek, coach of the Czech pairs team that finished eighth. “Everyone will cry out asking for a gold medal.”

Copyright ©2002 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Sports

Tips Week in Review: Everett splits at Prince George, beats Victoria

Eric Jamieson’s hat trick against Victoria highlights Presidents’ Day Weekend

Marysville Pilchuck’s Michael Smathers Jr. takes the ball up the court during a Feb. 7, 2025 home league game against Monroe. (Courtesy of Spencer Janzen)
Marysville Pilchuck’s Michael Smathers Jr. stars in freshman season

The guard averaged 19 points per game for the Tomahawks this season.

Everett qualifies 13 girls for Mat Classic

Mia Cianega wins at 190 as Seagulls place third at district wrestling tournament.

Vote for The Herald’s Prep Athlete of the Week for Feb. 9-15

The Athlete of the Week nominees for Feb. 9-15. Voting closes at… Continue reading

Arlington’s Leyton Martin puts three fingers in the air after making a three point shot during the game against Glacier Peak on Friday, Jan. 17, 2025 in Arlington, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Prep basketball roundup for Saturday, Feb. 15

Leyton Martin’s triple-double leads Arlington to district win

Freshman leads Jackson to 4A district swim title

Syunta Lee sets two meet records as Timberwolves edge Lake Stevens.

Shorecrest wins 3A district swim title

Snohomish’s Torsten Hokanson sets two meet records and leads two winning relays.

Marysville Pilchuck claims 2A district wrestling title

Tomahawks win three individual championship bouts.

Shorecrest’s Cassie Chesnut leaps in the air to block a shot by Shorewood’s Bridget Cox during the 3A district playoff game on Friday, Feb. 14, 2025 in Shoreline, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Shorecrest girls win rubber match against Shorewood

Cassie Chesnut’s 28 points, 18 rebounds pushes the Scots to District 1 3A semifinals with 53-38 win.

Monroe's Halle Keller drives past Meadowdale's Payton Fleishman during a Feb. 14, 2025 3A District 1 playoff game at Meadowdale High School. (Qasim Ali / The Herald)
Last-second layup powers Monroe past Mavs

The Bearcats staged a 50-49 road upset in a district playoff clash.

Snohomish’s Kendall Hammer yells in celebration with teammate Snohomish’s Sienna Capelli after she makes a shot and is fouled during the game on Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025 in Snohomish, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Prep basketball roundup for Friday, Feb. 14

Snohomish, Stanwood girls cruise into district semis.

Gonzaga sets school record with 33 assists in blowout

The first half started with Khalif Battle hitting consecutive 3-pointers… Continue reading

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.