Sheesh, wish some of you people would get the facts straight. See the interview with the IOC President. They got the official statement, signed, from the French judge. It has been documented in the newspapers, as well as a live interview with Bob Costas and the IOC President. Since then, the French judge has tried to change her story, at least 3 times.

Athletes shouldn't be penalized for judging improprieties and behind-the-scenes negotiations to fix results.

The canadian definitely skated better that night and deserved to win. The Russians were mediocre and simply not on and on the night, shouldn't have been rewarded for that. On another night, maybe the Russians might have beaten them, but that's another event that should be judged on that night and without advanced results fixing.

The Russians are not "unbeatable" -- they have been beaten so it wasn't surprising to me that there was a chance that they would be beaten. And on the night the canadians performed the better and cleanest program. I loved it, my friends/family loved it ... and they are all lovers of skating.

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Originally posted by dancefan:
Medals was given to Canadians 5 days before investigation started. So what was the reason ? American public opinion. Dancrmike! You have a very good reason to be horrified.

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RUDINGBAD! You should start Your post from ?I loved it, (Canadians) my friends/family loved it ... and they are all lovers of skating.? This way everything is clear. Official statement from French judge came at the meting of ICU which was conducted Monday Feb. 18. In the official statement she denied any allegation of wrong doing and confirmed her opinion that Russian couple was better. Learn to read the newspapers. Not everything in the newspaper is truth. ICO president decide to give Canadians gold medals based on his view with strong media support. He didn?t even bother to wait for ICU meting. Yes, athletes shouldn?t be penalized for judging mistakes but like David said in his first interview ?If you are not ready to be second do not compete?. He was very disappointed but as a real athlete he excepted that judgment. That was a truth statement from a real skater. Next day someone flush his brain and he was saying a different story.

I think the last poster has his frustration and again channelled at the wrong issue. I agree with other posters that the issue is judging and fixing. That is a more important discussion and debate. We know this happens in DanceSport, and skaters are telling us it happens in Skating world. And we have seen it happening.

The better debate and use of everyone's time here is to discuss how to prevent results fixing and back room deals, which has been going on forever. How about a more positive discussion of this issue, which some are glossing over rather conveniently.

I remember growing up the Soviet union and remember thanking God(although I was supposed to be an atheist) that I was lucky enough to have been born there. I believed everything the media told me - that the USSR was the best country in the world and we all were the luckiest people...Look how that turned out...

It's difficult to overcome the national pride and try to be objective. You always want to believe that YOUR homeland IS the best....It's not an easy thing to do. I've learned the ability to be objective with my life experience. Trust me, it's a horror for a child, when the whole life you'd believed in turns out to be a lie...

I love my new country and the opportunities I found here. But my personal experience allows me to say that the US media is too powerful and too many people trust it blindly.

It seems unlikely that it will ever be clear whether the fixing has or has not happened. The sides keep changing their stories and the media keeps quoting all the reports in contradictory ways. I agree, the judging system needs to be reevaluated, and it appears the wheels are turning on that slowly but surely. Let's just hope that whatever they come up with will be a step in the right direction to address the existing concerns.

Happy dancing to all.