French judge insists Russians
won deservedly
The French judge suspended by the International Skating Union (ISU) after a controversial decision in the pairs figure skating competition insisted on Monday that she had voted for the Russian couple in good faith.
Marie-Reine Le Gougne, interviewed by French sports daily l'Equipe , maintained she thought Yelena Berezhnaya and Anton Sikharulidze had won the competition ahead of Canadians Jamie Sale and David Pelletier.
Sale and Pelletier were finally awarded a joint gold medal on Sunday night after the ISU ruled that Le Gougne had been pressured to vote for the Russian pair.
The French judge said that she had been pressured for months to vote for the Canadian couple and claimed she was threatened after the Olympic competition and forced to admit she had acted under instructions from the French figure skating federation.
"I did not want to talk straight away, but my reputation has been tarnished and I have nothing to lose," she told the paper.
"Since the 2000 World championships in Nice, ISU members influence judges in favour of the Canadian pair Sale and Pelletier.
"The pressure again increased in Salt Lake City, but I judged in good faith that the Russians were best," she said, adding she had been threatened after leaving the judges tribune.
Le Gougne said she had later been confronted in her hotel by Sally-Ann Stapleton, head of the ISU technical committee, who suggested that she had been put under pressure by the French Ice Sports Federation (FFSG) and its president Didier Gailhaguet.
Media reports suggested that the French wanted to secure Russian votes for their ice dancing pair of Marina Anissina and Gwendal Peizerat.
Le Gougne added other ISU members had put pressure on her to force her to admit she had misjudged.
"Under general pressure I said I had acted under the guidance of the French federation while we have not had any contact since I arrived in Salt Lake City," she said.
Asked again if she believed the Russians were the best pair, she said: "Yes, I believe they were and I made no deal with any Russian official or judge."
