| Salt Lake City |
 |
 |
| GER |
12 |
16 |
7 |
35 |
 |
| USA |
10 |
13 |
11 |
34 |
|
| NOR |
11 |
7 |
6 |
24 |
|
| CAN |
6 |
3 |
8 |
17 |
|
| RUS |
6 |
6 |
4 |
16 |
|
| AUT |
2 |
4 |
10 |
16 |
|
| ITA |
4 |
4 |
4 |
12 |
|
| FRA |
4 |
5 |
2 |
11 |
|
| SUI |
3 |
2 |
6 |
11 |
|
| NED |
3 |
5 |
0 |
8 |
|
|
|
|
French judge says she was 'massacred'
Hearing opens on Olympic skating scandal
Associated Press
LAUSANNE, Switzerland — The French judge at the center of the Olympic figure skating scandal complained Monday that she was the victim of an "organized massacre."
The International Skating Union opened hearings into the dispute Monday amid legal wrangling and the likelihood the case will drag on for some time. A lawyer described the opening session of the hearings as "intense."
Judge Marie-Reine Le Gougne and French skating boss Didier Gailhaguet were called before the council to answer charges they manipulated the result of the pairs competition at the Salt Lake City Games.
Le Gougne was suspended indefinitely by the ISU for alleged misconduct after initially declaring she was instructed by Gailhaguet to vote for the victorious Russian pair ahead of the Canadians.
Le Gougne later retracted the accusation against Gailhaguet, saying she was in emotional distress at the time and had been harassed by ISU officials into making false claims against him.
Gailhaguet has denied any wrongdoing.
ISU president Ottavio Cinquanta said Monday he hopes the hearings will prevent further scandals and help reform the sport.
"We want to resolve the grave matter of Salt Lake City once and for all," he told The Associated Press. "But we also think the consequences of the hearing can have a positive effect for the whole sport."
Cinquanta said he expects the council to deliver its verdict by Tuesday evening. Until then, all parties in the case were asked to observe a confidentiality agreement.
"It's going very professionally, very respectfully," Cinquanta said after Monday morning's three-hour session. "The general atmosphere is good."
Max Miller, one of Le Gougne's American attorneys, declined to discuss details of the meeting. But when asked to describe the atmosphere, he replied, "intense."
Le Gougne and Gailhaguet appeared separately before the council.
Le Gougne, wearing a blue pinstriped pants suit, declined to comment after coming out of the conference room.
But, in an interview in Monday's edition of the French sports paper L'Equipe, she said the case was stacked against her.
"It's a one-way hearing, an organized massacre," Le Gougne said.
The ISU issued a statement reiterating that the hearings were "confidential" and that no announcements would be made until a verdict is reached. "All involved parties have been asked to respect the confidentiality of the proceedings until a decision is taken," it said.
Cinquanta said: "We will give everyone a fair hearing."
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April 29, 2002
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