Another day, another story from French judge

Compiled from Times wires
© St. Petersburg Times
published February 25, 2002

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The French judge in the middle of the figure skating controversy said she was under pressure from Canada, not her country's federation, before voting for the Russians in the pairs final, the New York Times reported.

Marie-Reine Le Gougne, in an interview from her lawyer's office in Salt Lake City, said despite the pressure she voted with her "heart and soul." She said the lobbying effort was led by senior skating officials from Canada and began in September.

"They needed my vote," Le Gougne said. "It was going to be very close. I was in the middle."

Michael Chambers, president of the Canadian Olympic Association, dismissed the claims.

Le Gougne was suspended indefinitely by the International Skating Union for misconduct after she said she voted to give the Russians, Yelena Berezhnaya and Anton Sikharulidze, the gold under pressure from the French federation.

Le Gougne said she blamed the French federation because she lost her ability to fight accusations being made by other skating officials.

BEER BRAWL: Police in riot gear used foam-tipped bullets to scatter an unruly crowd outside a downtown Salt Lake City beer garden early Sunday. Twenty people were arrested but no major injuries were reported.

The clash began when Bud World, set up for Olympic festivities, became too crowded and people spilled onto Main Street, blocks from Medals Plaza and the main media center.

Assistant Polic Chief Scott Folsom said people threw beer cans and bottles when about 100 helmeted officers came in to clear the crowd and close off the intersection. He said he knew of no injuries and only one broken window.

LOOKING AHEAD: The busiest four years of Evelina Christillin's life are about to begin and she can't wait.

"It will be thrilling," said Christillin, deputy president of the organizing committee for the next Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy, in 2006.

"We have looked forward to this moment," said Christillin, working with a $1.3-billion budget.

One thing's certain: Turin will have a different look, feel and focus than Salt Lake City.

"We will not try to imitate," Christillin said. "We do really hope to do as well as America. But we are Italians. You are Americans -- Western Americans. We don't have the wide open space. We don't have the hotels or the eight-lane interstate highways into the mountains as you do. We will have to do some things differently."

Unlike Utah's capital, Turin will have many venues within city limits. An old marketplace will be the site of the Olympic Village.

2002 Olympics: Today's coverage

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