The French judge suspended by the International Skating Union (ISU) after a controversial decision in the pairs figure skating competition said today she had voted for the Russian couple in good faith.
Marie-Reine Le Gougne, interviewed by French sports daily
l'Equipe
, said she thought Yelena Berezhnaya and Anton Sikharulidze had won the competition ahead of Canadians Jamie Sale and David Pelletier.
Sale and Pelletier were finally awarded a joint gold medal on Sunday night after the ISU ruled Le Gougne had been pressured to vote for the Russian pair.
The French judge said she had been pressured for months to vote for the Canadian couple and claimed she was threatened after the Olympic competition and forced to admit she had acted under instructions from the French figure skating federation.
"I did not want to talk straight away, but my reputation has been tarnished and I have nothing to lose," she told the paper. "Since the 2000 world championships in Nice, ISU members influence judges in favour of the Canadian pair Sale and Pelletier.
"The pressure again increased in Salt Lake City, but I judged in good faith that the Russians were best," she said.
Le Gougne said she had later been confronted by Sally-Ann Stapleton, head of the ISU technical committee, who "assailed me, scolding me for having voted for the Russians. That's when I broke down".