Posted on 02/15/2002 11:42:28 AM PST by The_Victor
Snip of redundant material
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"The council got enough evidence that this individual was responsible for misconduct. They (the skaters) were not judged equally."
Cinquanta said le Gougne had "practically admitted" she had been put under pressure during a meeting at which the American referee Ron Pfenning had been present. Earlier this week, Cinquanta said Pfenning had handed him a letter containing "certain allegations".
He added if a judge received pressure at any time the referee had to be informed.
RUSSIANS FURIOUS
"This did not happen in the case of Mrs. Le Gougne," Cinquanta said.
He said a council meeting on Monday would decide how long the suspension would last.
Pelletier and Sale told Canadian television after the announcement that justice had been done.
"Everyone knows what we deserve and we know what we deserve and we are taking that home with us and that's all that matters," Sale said.
"This is not about us and the Russians, this is about the sport we love dearly and justice was done, and that is a good feeling," said Pelletier.
"I hope it's not going to stop the cleaning of (figure skating's) house here," he added.
Sale said: "We just want the truth to come out and I think for the future of our sport this had to be fixed."
The Russian team reacted furiously to Friday's decision, describing it as a huge blow to the Olympic spirit.
Russian Olympic Committee official Rudolf Nezvegsky told Reuters: "By doing this, they just struck a huge blow, not only to the Olympic spirit of fair competition but also to the whole nature of sport.
"It went against any moral and ethical norms that exist in sport where athletes, not lawyers, compete against each other on the slopes and in the sports arenas and not in back rooms," Nezvegsky said.
"Mr Rogge, who has just become IOC president, probably does not understand what he has done for the sports movement for future Olympic Games (news - web sites)," Nezvegsky added.
The French never cease to annoy & disgust me and I have found most Russians to be very untrustworthy.
Do you even know what you're talking about? Taking the French judge out would leave the pairs tied. Therefore gold to both.
? Accually olympics laughed on you. They was compelled almost extorted to give up gold medals under tremendous pressure but they did it such a way that anyone in future will call those canadians the "court chempions". Or "extort chempions".
Canada extorting? LOL!!! Canada has no weight to do any such thing. Usually Canada is at the short end of the stick on these matters. You seem to have more information than the Committee? They made findings of fact. They saw the evidence. You can't add a single thing now except whine. As I stated, you're lucky they left the gold with your useless pair of skaters.
Or France
"You have seen how the public reacts to even the tiniest mistakes of our athletes, and how they absolutely don't notice when the Canadians fall or when the Americans fall."
By pressuring the judges, the Russians were simply compensating for the bias against their athletes -- levelling the playing field, if you will. Surely there's nothing wrong with that. I mean, everybody knows that levelling the playing field is a noble and righteous thing, right?
I think everyone should have gotten a gold medal. Everyone tried sooo hard. And everyone's been sooo nice. After all, there no reason for anyone's feelings to get hurt now is there?
Awwww...Group hug now!
< soccer mom voice = off>
Barcelona, 1992.
Charles Barkley
Larry Bird
Clyde Drexler
Patrick Ewing
Magic Johnson
Michael Jordan
Christian Laettner
Karl Malone
Chris Mullin
Scottie Pippen
David Robinson
John Stockton
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