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CNN SATURDAY
Controversy Continues to Haunt Olympics
Aired February 16, 2002 - 12:01 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Even with the awarding of the two gold medals in the disputed Olympic Pairs Competition, the controversy may not be over just yet. We get the latest on the story from CNN's Carol Lin in Salt Lake City.
Hi there, Carol.
CAROL LIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Fredricka.
Yes, finally the Canadians are awarded the gold. Jamie Sale and David Pelletier yesterday say they can actually joke about it now.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JAMIE SALE, OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALIST: We're not sure what is going to happen obviously. We just found out about this half an hour ago. So I am sure someone will be telling us what is going on.
DAVID PELLETIER, OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALIST: And we do hope we get the bronze too, so we can get the entire collection in our living room.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LIN: It was a nice touch to a very tense day, and last night the president of the Salt Lake Olympic Committee went to a local jeweler to pick up the gold medals, which will be presented to the Canadians sometime next week. They actually had to make an extra gold medal, because they didn't have one on hand.
But a mystery still remains about the French judge, Marie-Reine le Gougne, who was caught up in the controversy during last week's Pairs Skating judging competition. She allegedly told the International Skating Union that she was pressured by the French Skating Federation to vote for the Russians. The 40-year-old former figure skater has now been suspended indefinitely by the International Olympic Committee and the International Skating Union for what they are saying is undue pressure placed on her voting practices.
Now, this all started actually very late Thursday night. It was a midnight deal that was struck Thursday night between the IOC and the International Skating Union, when they agreed in a secret meeting in a downtown hotel in Salt Lake City to allow the Canadians to actually share in the gold and get a second gold medal in the Pairs Skating competition. That gold medal -- or those gold medals should be awarded next Thursday night, February 21, which is the last night of Figure Skating Competition.
The scandal clearly has been overshadowing these Winter Games here. The Russians themselves tried to be gracious yesterday. They canceled their news conference, but did say, according to Anton Sikharulidze, the male skater in the pair, quote: "We are not bad guys. We don't have the money to buy nine judges."
Well, CNN's Matthew Chance is getting reaction in Moscow.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In Russia, disbelief. The Olympic figure skating scandal and the decision meant to resolve it has gone so far. The unlikely outcome has left some of these young skaters, themselves future Olympic hopefuls, disillusioned with the Salt Lake City Games.
ILYA KLIMKIN, FIGURE SKATER: And the gold medal should be just for one, because all couples is strong, all couples is prepared for this competition. And gold medal just for one, because it is four years of working, and everyone waiting for a gold. A lot of people are watching. That's unfair to give both of them gold medals.
CHANCE: Russia has dominated world figure skating for the past four decades, winning successive golds at Olympic Games and world championships. National coaches, professional and used to success, say despite the slip-up, the Russian performance was technically superior to the Canadian's pairs. And there is astonishment the International Olympic Committee decision has gone this way.
ALEXANDER KUZNETSOV, FIGURE SKATING COACH (through translator): The Russians would have never brought up this issue. The Russians would have proven their superiority at the next competition. As far as I know, Russia has never protested a result in the last several years.
CHANCE: In the Russian media, the tone of coverage has being indignant. Facts raised over the original results dismissed. And despite findings the French Olympic judge may have been guilty of misconduct, suggestions of impropriety are being played down here in favor of accusations of Canadian manipulation.
VASILY SOLOVYOV, SPORTS COMMENTATOR: We think that the Canadian pair made this, because they wanted to make a big scandal to make big PR, public relations show for them, because they can get now million contracts and so on. It was a game, and they won it.
CHANCE (on camera): So the consensus here in Russia is one of disappointment, not because the Canadians now have a gold of their own, but rather that this entire figure skating controversy may have in some way in the eyes of the world diminished the achievements of Russia's own medal winners.
Matthew Chance, CNN, Moscow. (END VIDEOTAPE)
LIN: Now, there was supposed to be a meeting by the International Skating Union on Monday to review exactly what happened in the judging of the Pairs Skating Competition. We don't know yet, though, whether that meeting will continue to take place, because, Fredricka, as far as the International Skating Union is concerned and the International Olympic Committee, they are saying this matter is officially closed.
So if, in fact, the Skating Union decides to investigate itself, as it said it has promised to do an internal assessment, unlikely that is going to be made public what the results are. So, so far only the French judge is taking the rap for what happened last Monday night.
WHITFIELD: All right. Thanks a lot -- Carol Lin reporting from Salt Lake City.
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