WINTER OLYMPICS: In a surprise turn of events in Salt Lake City yesterday the Canadian figure skating pair of Jamie Sale and Dave Pelletier were awarded a gold medal as the International Skating Union sought to damp down a controversy which has threatened to overshadow the entire Winter Olympics.

Since last Monday night, when the Russian skaters Yelena Berezhnaya and Anton Sikharulidze were awarded a narrow victory over the sentimental favourites from Canada, the north American media in particular has been in a state of near apoplexy.

The unrelenting pressure led to a curious about-turn from the ISU. Under intense pressure from the ringmasters of the International Olympic Committee and with the media keening growing louder, the ISU apparently speeded up an internal investigation.

While conceding yesterday that their inquiries were not complete, they suspended French judge Marie-Reine Le Gougne and suggested to the IOC that a second gold medal be awarded. The Russians will keep their gold.

Despite the hopes of the ISU, the decision is likely to intensify debate here.

French Olympic officials are adamant Le Gougne voted honestly despite pressure. "It is clear that Marie-Reine was approached by certain people who had an interest to see their couple win - coaches, left and right. It is a classic thing in figure skating," said Didier Gailhaguet, head of the French Olympic Committee and the skating federation.

He denied that the French federation pressured Le Gougne or that there was any collusion with other judges. He said that Le Gougne had written to the ISU "that her vote was not influenced and that she voted in honesty and with good conscience".

It is widely accepted in the small internecine world of figure skating that participants, coaches and national federations all compete off the ice to make favourable impressions on judges. Where this crosses the line and becomes pressure is a matter for the sport to resolve.

Canadian media had reported that Briton Sally-Ann Stapleford, a member of the ISU's technical committee, said that Le Gougne approached her after the event and "expressed some concern" that there had been an impropriety.

Valentin Piseyev, president of the Russian Skating Federation, was adamant that his organisation had not pressured any judges: "That's absolutely silly," he said. "You have to be able to honourably accept defeat. And if you haven't learned it yet, then learn it."

Ottavio Cinquanta, the ISU president said yesterday: "We got enough evidence to conclude that she (Le Gougne) was responsible for misconduct. She acted in a way not adequate to guarantee both pairs equal conditions." Le Gougne has made no comment.

"It takes nothing away from Anton and Yelena, this was not something against them, it was something against the system," Pelletier said. "We hope now that the inquiries will not stop here."