Conspiracy theory?
Conspiracy theories anyone? Sure enough, a French team leads the ice dancing competition after its first phase. Never mind that Marina Anissina and Gwendal Peizerat skated a quick step with lightness and ease and treated the crowd at the Salt Lake Ice Center to a smoldering blues dance to claim first place Friday night.

Decision to share gold may bring new problems
Pandora, meet the Olympics. The brouhaha over pairs skating at the 2002 Winter Games exploded Friday when gold medals were given to Canadians Jamie Sale and David Pelletier after a probe showed evidence of wrongdoing on a judges panel.

Olympic sound-off question

Russians criticize media influence

About Figure skating:    Schedule/results    Figure skating photos

Figure skating was Games' first winter sport Skating's roots may stretch back as far as the Middle Ages, where drawings depict ancient gods wearing huge "skis" with runners. In 1850, E.W. Bushnell introduced the first steel-bladed skates, which revolutionized the sport by making possible more intricate twists and turns.

Up close: Figure skating It's the most popular sport of the Winter Olympics. The grace and artistry of Olympic skating is never difficult to express.

Skating is a real sport Sigh. Yes, Virginia, figure skating is a sport. I know, I know. There are sequins on the costumes, short skirts on the ladies and more routines choreographed to movie themes than you can three-turn or twizzle to.

Olympic highlights

Utah connections

Figure skating medalists in Nagano