By: HISTORY.com Editors

2002

IOC finds fraud, awards second gold in Winter Olympics skating event

HISTORY.com Editors

Published: December 09, 2021

Last Updated: January 24, 2025

On February 15, 2002, the International Olympic Committee announces it has sufficient evidence of fraud by a French judge and awards a second gold medal in pairs figure skating at the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah. The decision comes after days of rumors and behind-the-scenes investigations.

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As part of a vote-trading scheme, a French judge allegedly succumbed to pressure from her federation to award a gold medal score to Russian pair Yelena Berezhnaya and Anton Sikharulidze, leaving Canadians Jamie Sale and David Pelletier with the silver.

Four days earlier, the Canadians skated a nearly flawless routine that received loud cheers from the crowd at the Salt Lake Center. In the Russians' final skate, Sikharulidze bungled the landing on a jump. But the pair was awarded the gold in a 5-4 vote that was booed loudly.

"We took a position that was one of justice and fairness for the athletes," said IOC president Jacques Rogge about the awarding of a second gold.

Joked Pelletier at a news conference the following day: "We do hope we get the bronze, too, so we can get the entire collection."

The International Skating Federation suspended the French judge, Marie-Reine Le Gougne. Valentin Piseyev, the president of the Federation of Russian Figure Skating, said the awarding of a second gold was dictated by pressure from North American media.

The scandal led to a revised judging system aimed to better represent performances and to safeguard against the manipulation of scores.

In 2012, Le Gougne insisted she was a scapegoat. “My life was devastated,” she told Reuters.

Timeline

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Citation Information

Article title: IOC finds fraud, awards second gold in Winter Olympics skating event
Author: HISTORY.com Editors
Website Name: History
URL: https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/february-15/winter-olympics-scandals-figure-skating-2002

Date Accessed: April 29, 2025
Publisher: A&E Television Networks
Last Updated: January 24, 2025
Original Published Date: December 09, 2021

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