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Unfortunately dirty tricks to win votes are not taken seriously in the U.S., unless you are talking about the pairs figure skating event. http://www.sportserver.com/olympics/story/485791p-3877238c.html The Associated Press (August 1, 2002 4:31 p.m. EDT) - Some of the names that have come up in the Olympic ice skating scandal: ALIMZAN TOKHTAKHOUNOV: Reputed Russian gangster is charged in U.S. District Court with conspiring to rig Winter Olympics judging by arranging a vote swap that would give gold medals to the Russian team in pairs figure skating and a French duo in ice dancing. Court papers say wiretaps in an Italian organized crime investigation recorded Tokhtakhounov discussing the plot in a series of telephone calls during the Feb. 8-24 Olympics. Authorities have not released names of any alleged coconspirators. Tokhtakhounov, who is in custody in Venice, Italy, says he is innocent, according to his lawyer. ELENA BEREZHNAYA and ANTON SIKHARULIDZE: Russian duo won the gold medal in pairs figure skating despite slipping during their routine, triggering an uproar at the Olympics over the event's judging. After an investigation by the International Skating Union, duplicate gold medals were awarded to runners-up Jamie Sale and David Pelletier of Canada. Sikhardulidze says he was surprised by the allegations of a plot. MARIE REINE LE GOUGNE: The French figure skating judge was suspended during the Olympics after saying she was pressured by France's skating federation to put Berezhnaya and Sikhardulidze first. She later recanted, but the International Skating Union suspended her from judging for three years and banned her from 2006 Winter Games. She says she doesn't know Tokhtakhounov, never had contact with him and has no knowledge of the alleged plot. DIDIER GAILHAGUET: Head of the French skating federation said during the Olympics that Le Gougne was "manipulated" into voting for the Russian pair. He later was suspended for three years and banned from the 2006 Winter Games. Gailhaguet hasn't returned calls seeking comment. MARINA ANISSINA and GWENDAL PEIZERAT: French team won the gold medal in ice dancing a week after the figure skating competition. Lithuania's team filed a protest about the event's judging, but the appeal was rejected. Peizerat says he has never heard of Tokhtakhounov. Anissina, a native Russian, has not returned calls requesting comment. Not using any names other than Tokhtakhounov's, court papers say he talked by phone with the mother of a French ice dancer and bragged he would influence the judging. After the Olympics, investigators say, the ice dancer called Tokhtakhounov and told him she would have won without his help. Copyright © 2003 SportServer _______________________________________________ Sent via the discussion list of the Campaign Against Sanctions on Iraq. To unsubscribe, visit http://lists.casi.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/casi-discuss To contact the list manager, email casi-discuss-admin@lists.casi.org.uk All postings are archived on CASI's website: http://www.casi.org.uk