International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge has insisted the decision to hand Canadian figure skaters a share of the gold medal has not caused the IOC embarrassment. The IOC took the unprecedented step of accepting the International Skating Union's recommendation that Jamie Sale and David Pelletier be upgraded to a share of first place after allegations of impropriety amongst the judges were upheld.
Russian pair Elena Berezhnaya and Anton Sikharulidze took gold on Monday despite Sikharulidze stepping out on a jump. The Canadians appeared to skate a flawless programme. It is the first time in Olympic history that an athlete or athletes have been upgraded to a share of gold whilst a Games was still in progress.
ISU president Ottavio Cinquanta had hastily convened a meeting of the ISU council, at which the allegations against French judge Marie-Reine Le Gougne were upheld. Le Gougne has been suspended with immediate effect.
There were immediately allegations that Le Gougne had sided with the Russians in return for a favour in the ice dancing competition, although Cinquanta would not elaborate. A French pair are one of the favourites for the ice dancing, while the Russians do not figure in the top medal contention. The competition has a Russian judge, but not a French one.
"I don't see how the IOC could have been embarrassed. This was a matter that was under the responsibility of an international federation," Rogge said. "They have conducted it extremely well and they have proposed to us to award a gold medal to the Canadian pair, which we did because of fairness for the athletes. So there is absolutely no embarrassment."
Filed by Sinéad Kissane
