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CNN Live At Daybreak

ISU Proposes Drastic Change in Judging System

Aired February 19, 2002 - 05:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: And now for the latest twist in the Olympic figure skating scandal. The International Skating Union is proposing to drastically change its judging system after the controversy in the Olympic pairs competition.

CNNSI's John Giannone has details from Salt Lake City.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN GIANNONE, CNN SPORTS ILLUSTRATED: It took seven scandalous days to obliterate more than seven decades of skating tradition. On Monday, the International Skating Union proposed a radical reconstruction of the way its sport is judged. Under the new system, the nine-judge panel will be increased to 14, with the scores of seven of those judges selected at random, by computer, during the competition.

The scoring format, currently using 6.0, as a measure of perfection will become a more complex formula in which points are awarded based on performance and the degree of difficulties, similar to Olympic diving. And finally, each spring, judges will be evaluated for discrepancies by the ISU Council. It's all in the name of fair play and credibility.

OTTAVIO CINQUANTA, ISU PRESIDENT: The consensus of the council today after this process has been unanimous, and I was really very, very glad, very proud to have my colleague support (UNINTELLIGIBLE) and they also expressing favor to this project.

I promise you that this system will reduce it to a minimal possibility of block judging. The purpose of this (UNINTELLIGIBLE) is vital to the progress of the future of figure skating. So I'm 100 percent sure about that -- excuse me my optimism, but I feel there will be no problems.

GIANNONE: While the reforms were presented, the ISU continued its internal private investigation of last week's voting scandal and the alleged role of the French Skating Federation in pressuring the French judge to compromise her integrity. This even as the judge on Monday accused the Canadian Delegation of pressuring her into a confession.

CINQUANTA: She has confirmed it -- has confirmed it that she got pressure from the French Federation to put the Russian pair first, but she has not said that she has put the Russians first because of this. She said that the French made the pressure -- very different.

DIDIE GAILHAGUET, PRESIDENT FRENCH SKATING FEDERATION: Maybe she made a mistake, but if she has made a mistake, she has done it in her heart and really with truth, and this is why we can not accept that the judge that our federation, even myself, are treated, lynched, on publicly the way it's done actually, and that's why we have decided to react.

GIANNONE (on camera): Even though several of the proposals for Monday's reform plan were rejected by the ISU in recent years, Cinquanta said he expects full passage this time around. However, that won't happen until June at the earliest, when the ISU Congress convenes in full in Kyoto, Japan.

At the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, I'm John Giannone.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: It's like a soap opera isn't it?

The Canadians, though, they're getting the last laugh. Jamie Sale and David Pelletier were on "JAY LENO" last night and they were talking about their ordeal. Listen to what they had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAY LENO, "THE TONIGHT SHOW": I mean, describe last week. Because other than the O.J. trial, I can't think of a bigger media -- and I hate to compare you to that, but I mean in terms of the media, I don't mean to compare it that way. But, I mean the media just descending on people. Was it just unbelievable?

DAVID PELLETIER: Well, it was actually, after the press conference, they told us we won the gold. We got out of the room and I mean I felt like O.J., and she probably felt like Monica Lewinsky walking together to, I don't know, a prom date or something.

(LAUGHTER)

It was amazing, I tell you. I saw one camera guy taking pictures just fly out his back, did a triple sow cow (ph), fell on his flat back, bang! There was no French judge around, so it was all right.

(LAUGHTER)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: And they say Canadians are reserved. They were funny.

CHAD MEYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: That was great!

COSTELLO: Do you know how rich those two people are going to be?

MEYERS: Oh, my! Yes! For anything.

COSTELLO: Because, I'm telling you, America loves them, and they will get lots and lots of endorsements.

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