Man Canada totally got robbed of the gold last night. The Russians had a more technical program but they made 4 mistakes and the Canadians didn't make even 1! The commentators were floored by the judges decision and so was the audience! They lost because of the judges rankings! I was so mad!!!!! They really deserved it and you could tell that the Russians knew they did.
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Pairs Skating
- Thread starter sfell
- Start Date
Don't even get me started!
I am so mad I could spit! I knew that even though Canada's team was better, that we would not get the gold. Figure skating judges are too subjective. There were not even any North American judges on the panel. It is always the eastern block European judges who decide the ultimate winner - even before the skate. I can guarentee you that Canada's ice dance pair, although the best in the world, will be lucky to get bronze this year. Urgh!
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #3
The commentators were saying that this is one the most controversial figure skating outcomes yet and will be debated for years to come! I can't believe that the judges can be so close minded
I am a figure skating-a-holic. I watch it all the time. It always disgusts me that it is so subjective. I was watching both Canadian & American coverage (I get both channels). The sad thing is the Russians looked embarrassed by the fact that they got gold - I don't think they felt they deserved it.
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #5
I know! They looked like they felt really uncomfortable because they knew they didn't deserve it! I love figure skating! I have trouble keeping up with the national and world championships (no cable right now and it's hard finding out when it's going to be on when I did have cable).
Now I may be wrong (me! NEVER!:tounge2: ), but I thought that commentator (female) said something about she's gonna lodge a complaint or contest it or something....
Found this a few minutes ago.....
************************************************
Russian to judgment
The facts and history behind the pairs judging controversy
Yelena Berezhnaya and Anton Sikharulidze of Russia stand on the podium after receiving their gold medals in the pair's competition.
By David Wallechinsky
STAFF WRITER
SALT LAKE CITY, Feb. 12 — From the very start it was clear that the contest between Russians Yelena Berezhnaya and Anton Sikharulidze and Canadians Jamie Sale and David Pelletier would be a dramatic confrontation.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
SINCE 1964, RUSSIAN PAIRS had won 10 straight gold medals. Sale and Pelletier, however, defeated Berezhnaya and Sikharulidze at the 2001 World Championships, as well as at the Grand Prix of Figure Skating in December.
At the Salt Lake Games, the battle for Olympic gold came down to the free skating contest. To most spectators at the Salt Lake Ice Center, and probably to most people who watched on television, it seemed obvious that the Canadiansâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji] near-perfect program was superior to the Russiansâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji] tense, wobble-marred presentation. So it came as a shock when the judges awarded the gold medals to Berezhnaya and Sikharulidze.
Vote now: Who should have won?
So how did the nine judges come to such a seemingly inexplicable conclusion? Each judge awards each pair two scores: one for technical merit and the other for presentation. The two scores are then combined.
Four of the nine judges gave a higher total to Sale and Pelletier and put them in first place. Three of the judges gave higher scores to Berezhnaya and Sikharulidze.
Two judges, Yang Jiasheng of China and Anna Sierocka of Poland, gave the two pairs equal scores. In case of a tie, a judgeâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s final vote is given to the pair that earned the higher mark for presentation. Both Yang and Sierocka gave the nod for presentation to Berezhnaya and Sikharulidze. That turned the decision in favor of the Russians, 5-4.
Of course, judging for presentation can be highly subjective. It is worth noting that four of the five judges who voted for Berezhnaya and Sikharulidze came from former Communist bloc nations: Russia, Ukraine, Poland and China, while the four who voted for Sale and Pelletier hailed from the United States, Canada, Germany and Japan.
The swing vote that gave the Olympic victory to the Russians was cast by the French judge, Marie Reine Le Gougne. It is tempting to read old-time Cold War prejudices into this yearâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s controversial pairs decision, but it is just as likely that the division reflects not so much a difference in politics as a difference in taste.
Judges from the old Eastern bloc prefer the balletic Russian style, while judges from the West lean toward livelier, more entertaining programs.
Strange as it seems, the 2002 pairs decision bears an eerie resemblance to an earlier Canadian Olympic figure skating disappointment: Brian Orserâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s 1988 Olympic loss to American Brian Boitano.
In that case, four of the judges voted for Orser, three went for Boitano, and, as in 2002, two called it a tie. Back in 1988 the tiebreaking rules were different: each judge could choose either the technical score or the presentation score as the tiebreaker. Ironically, both chose the technical mark and both gave the edge to Boitano. He won the gold medal, while Orser, the unfortunate Canadian, had to settle for the silver.
************************************************
Russian to judgment
The facts and history behind the pairs judging controversy
Yelena Berezhnaya and Anton Sikharulidze of Russia stand on the podium after receiving their gold medals in the pair's competition.
By David Wallechinsky
STAFF WRITER
SALT LAKE CITY, Feb. 12 — From the very start it was clear that the contest between Russians Yelena Berezhnaya and Anton Sikharulidze and Canadians Jamie Sale and David Pelletier would be a dramatic confrontation.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
SINCE 1964, RUSSIAN PAIRS had won 10 straight gold medals. Sale and Pelletier, however, defeated Berezhnaya and Sikharulidze at the 2001 World Championships, as well as at the Grand Prix of Figure Skating in December.
At the Salt Lake Games, the battle for Olympic gold came down to the free skating contest. To most spectators at the Salt Lake Ice Center, and probably to most people who watched on television, it seemed obvious that the Canadiansâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji] near-perfect program was superior to the Russiansâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji] tense, wobble-marred presentation. So it came as a shock when the judges awarded the gold medals to Berezhnaya and Sikharulidze.
Vote now: Who should have won?
So how did the nine judges come to such a seemingly inexplicable conclusion? Each judge awards each pair two scores: one for technical merit and the other for presentation. The two scores are then combined.
Four of the nine judges gave a higher total to Sale and Pelletier and put them in first place. Three of the judges gave higher scores to Berezhnaya and Sikharulidze.
Two judges, Yang Jiasheng of China and Anna Sierocka of Poland, gave the two pairs equal scores. In case of a tie, a judgeâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s final vote is given to the pair that earned the higher mark for presentation. Both Yang and Sierocka gave the nod for presentation to Berezhnaya and Sikharulidze. That turned the decision in favor of the Russians, 5-4.
Of course, judging for presentation can be highly subjective. It is worth noting that four of the five judges who voted for Berezhnaya and Sikharulidze came from former Communist bloc nations: Russia, Ukraine, Poland and China, while the four who voted for Sale and Pelletier hailed from the United States, Canada, Germany and Japan.
The swing vote that gave the Olympic victory to the Russians was cast by the French judge, Marie Reine Le Gougne. It is tempting to read old-time Cold War prejudices into this yearâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s controversial pairs decision, but it is just as likely that the division reflects not so much a difference in politics as a difference in taste.
Judges from the old Eastern bloc prefer the balletic Russian style, while judges from the West lean toward livelier, more entertaining programs.
Strange as it seems, the 2002 pairs decision bears an eerie resemblance to an earlier Canadian Olympic figure skating disappointment: Brian Orserâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s 1988 Olympic loss to American Brian Boitano.
In that case, four of the judges voted for Orser, three went for Boitano, and, as in 2002, two called it a tie. Back in 1988 the tiebreaking rules were different: each judge could choose either the technical score or the presentation score as the tiebreaker. Ironically, both chose the technical mark and both gave the edge to Boitano. He won the gold medal, while Orser, the unfortunate Canadian, had to settle for the silver.
Adymarie -
I am a figure skating-a-holic too. Although, not as much since Brasseur & Eisler stopped skating as much. I am madly 'in love' with the two of them. Who are your favorite skaters? I know this was about the judging, but I only brought up B&E because they got 'screwed' in 1994 when the professionals were allowed back in. Seems to mainly happen to the Canadians, recently, in pairs skating.
Pandabear
I am a figure skating-a-holic too. Although, not as much since Brasseur & Eisler stopped skating as much. I am madly 'in love' with the two of them. Who are your favorite skaters? I know this was about the judging, but I only brought up B&E because they got 'screwed' in 1994 when the professionals were allowed back in. Seems to mainly happen to the Canadians, recently, in pairs skating.
Pandabear
I'm furious and this is not the first time this has happened either. Look at Victor Kratz and Shaylynn Bourne, for example. Apparently Sale and Pelletier are going to be on Leno tonight. Adymarie if you visit the CBC website there's an Olympic forum where everyone is talking about what happened; apparently the ISU e-mail overloaded, but here's their address and the website address for the IOC as well.
[email protected]
http://www.olympic.org/uk/utilities/...prm_action=req
[email protected]
http://www.olympic.org/uk/utilities/...prm_action=req
I am so proud of Jamie & David! They have been so gracious in the silver medal. They are saying that they didn't lose the gold - they won the silver. They are a class act. The french judge said she was pressured into voting for the Russian so that she could guarentee her team would get gold in the ice dance! How horrible is that?
Pandabear - my fav skaters are Kurt Browning, Scott Hamilton & Lloyd Eisler & Isabella Brasseur. Fav amateur skater is Alexi Yugadin - he had a beautiful skate last night. On May 24 (I think that is the date) I have tickets to see Stars on Ice with Kurt Browning, Lloyd & Issie, Kristie Yamiguchi etc.
Pandabear - my fav skaters are Kurt Browning, Scott Hamilton & Lloyd Eisler & Isabella Brasseur. Fav amateur skater is Alexi Yugadin - he had a beautiful skate last night. On May 24 (I think that is the date) I have tickets to see Stars on Ice with Kurt Browning, Lloyd & Issie, Kristie Yamiguchi etc.
they were definately crucified
by the judge but no matter the Canadian Team they can always be proud of their performance
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I am so sick and tired of corruption seeping into every single facet of our lives! Is NOTHING sacred anymore?
I am proud of the Sale and Pelletier, too. They are truly a class act. They have no desire to take the gold away from the Russians skaters, because the know they are blameless, they merely ask to also receive a gold.
They're getting their GOLD!!!
:blubturq:
:bubbly:
Whoo-hooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!
that is fabulous news!!!
Anybody have the complete story?!?! I would love to hear how this played out....
that is fabulous news!!!
Anybody have the complete story?!?! I would love to hear how this played out....
Airprincess...here's a link to the CBC website for the breaking news story:
http://www.cbc.ca/stories/2002/02/15/gold_medals020215
http://www.cbc.ca/stories/2002/02/15/gold_medals020215
Shawna~
thank you so much for that! I'm so excited for my canuck friends!!!
thank you so much for that! I'm so excited for my canuck friends!!!
Just had a press conference. The ISU has suspended the french judge (nothing mentioned about the people who offered her the deal). The Russians keep their gold & Dave & Jamie get a gold too - probably awarded at the end of all the figure skating competitions. Not much more of value has been discussed as they aren't really being open with what is going to happen with the remaining skating events or the judges involved.
We have a gold!
We have a gold!
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Other than a few tears, I have yet to hear them say a bitter word or turn a dirty look in any direction. I would nominate them for Olympian of the Year on the Today show website, but the page is so busy I can't get on it to nominate them. I am glad they got the gold, even if it was late, because it was well-deserved. The Russian coach is upset because as she was quoted saying, the routine the canadian pair did was 3 years old and not original like her students routine was.
