Reunion is a no-go

[Times photo: James Borchuck]
Canadian skating pair Jamie Sale and David Pelletier, with co-champions Elena Berezhnaya and Anton Sikharulidze, right, accept the gold awarded them last week. Photo gallery of Sunday’s action

Compiled from Times wires
© St. Petersburg Times
published February 18, 2002

PARK CITY, Utah -- Forget about Jean Racine and Jen Davidson riding together in the Olympics.

A hamstring injury to brakewoman Gea Johnson created confusion Sunday, as U.S. bobsled officials initially said Racine could be reunited with Davidson, her best friend and former teammate. Racine dumped Davidson from the USA-1 sled in December.

The U.S. Olympic Committee rejected any possible reunion, saying Davidson was not eligible because she did not compete in the Olympic trials.

"If Gea Johnson is not able to compete as the push athlete for Jean Racine, the only possible replacement is Bethany Hart," USOC spokesman Mike Moran said.

The head of the U.S. bobsled federation said Johnson appeared to be ready.

"Gea is competing. ... She looks good and she says she feels good. At this point, there's no reason to speculate about why Jen would be eligible," said Matt Roy, executive director of the USBSF.

Racine said she was confident Johnson would be with her for Tuesday's race.

"She's my girl," Racine said. "We're going for it."

Asked if she could envision any scenario in which she would have to replace Johnson, Racine said "absolutely not."

MEDIA POTSHOTS: The head of the Russian Olympic committee blamed "an extensive campaign" by American media for the pairs skating controversy and raised questions about U.S. wrestler Rulon Gardner's upset of a Russian in Sydney. While it had "the full moral right" to protest the decision that cost Alexander Karelin a fourth gold, Leonid Tyagachiov said, the Russian panel refrained "in order not to sow discord."

Tyagachiov said "no protests will follow" over the IOC's decision to award duplicate gold medals to Canada's Jamie Sale and David Pelletier, who finished second to Elena Berezhnaya and Anton Sikharulidze.

"(The campaign) likely caused certain moral damage to the Russian athletes ... and provided powerful support for" the Canadians, Tyagachiov said. "In this case, public opinion played the role of referee, which by all respects cannot replace the institution of the sports referees, even with all of its imperfections."

Tyagachiov had "doubts in regard to the legitimacy" of changing results after events are finished. He pointed to Gardner's win over Karelin in the 286-pound class of Greco-Roman wrestling at the 2000 Games. The loss was Karelin's first in 13 years. He said Gardner won because of a judging error.

SHEA HONORED: Jack Shea, the late patriarch of the only family to produce three generations of American Olympic athletes, was honored with the U.S. Olympic Committee's highest award. The Olympic Torch Award was given posthumously to Shea, a double-gold medalist in speed skating at the 1932 Winter Games. Shea was killed in an auto accident before this year's Games.

SKATING DRAW: Medal favorite Michelle Kwan drew the 15th spot for Tuesday night, making her the last of the top women to skate. She is in the same warmup as Russian challengers Irina Slutskaya (13th) and Maria Butyrskaya (12th). Sarah Hughes drew the worst spot of the top women, fifth, and Sasha Cohen is sixth.

OHNO UPDATE: Speed-skater Apolo Anton Ohno, with six stitches in his thigh after a crash in the 1,000 meters, is scheduled to practice and compete in his remaining three events.