The president of the French figure skating federation Tuesday criticized the decision to award a second Olympic gold medal to Canada in the pairs competition as "total nonsense."

Didier Gailhaguet, returning from the Winter Games in Salt Lake City, also insisted there was no wrongdoing on the part of either French judge Marie-Reine Le Gougne or the French skating federation.

Le Gougne sparked one of the biggest controversies in Olympic skating history this month when she cast a crucial vote in favor of Russians Elena Berezhnaya and Anton Sikhardulidze over Canadians Jamie Sale and David Pelletier.

Le Gougne at first said she had been pressured into voting for the Russians by Gailhaguet - reportedly in a vote-swapping deal to ensure victory for the French ice dancing team of Marina Anissina and Gwendal Peizerat. But then she recanted the story and said she voted honestly and with her conscience.

Le Gougne would later say it was the Canadian skating officials who pressured her. The IOC has suspended Le Gougne indefinitely.

Some information for this report provided by AP.

Email this article to a friend
Printer Friendly Version