French Media Figure Skating "scandal"
 

I wonder what French media say about what North Americans call a "scandal" over last Monday's Figure Skating event at Salt Lake City. Since I can't read French, I can't visit sites like Le Monde. It looks like the Frech judge was the center of controversy while 4 other judges did the same thing. Is she being punished for being too honest? She could have said, "I made an error in judgement." Do they (French media) think the case was handled fairly by North Amricans?<BR>Dave

I don't think it was "handled" solely by North Americans, the Olympic committees handled it.They have been changing every aspect of the judging since this happened so there must have been plenty of evidence,besides her confession.I would think everyone concerned is embarrassed.

Dave<BR><BR>You can visit sites like Le Monde. Go to www.google.com and type in "Le Monde." Next to the article, you'll find "Translate this page." Simply click on that and voila!, the article comes up in English.

Here you go, Dave. An article (with lots of links) about Marie-Riene Gougne from the front page of today's Le Monde.<BR><BR>http://translate.google.com/translat...onde%26hl%3Den

I didn't read these in detail because I'm not really that interested in sports, to be honest. However, most of the stuff I've read in the French press was simply straight journalism, not editorials--on Agence France, for example. I didn't read anything much in Le Monde that was editorializing, either. Interestingly enough, viewing some French newspapers I often read, Liberation (left-wing) had a few comments about how the American media (newspapers and TV) were really pushing this to the forefront and dwelling on it, but Le Figaro (more right-wing than Le Monde) really made the most subjective comments about how the powerful American fourth estate, TV, etc, (and the American-Canadian alliance) were making too much of this and trying the French judge and the French iceskating fed. prez (Gaihuguet) in the press. It also said he had been betrayed by her, and there really wasn't any concrete evidence as to what happened. It was kind of funny actually, it said something like the American TV was plastering their pictures all over TV all the time and might as well have had the saying under them "Wanted: Dead or Alive" (Bush probably inspired that) and that Utah was the American west, after all. Le Figaro also had insinuations about how the persecution of Gailhuguet might have something to do with the fact that he tried to expose problems or corruption in ice-skating judging in prior years (I took that to mean that the ice-skating powers that be were trying to get even with him).<BR><BR>As I said, I didn't read these very thoroughly, just skimmed them.

I watch French TV news (www.tf1.fr) almost every day and they have said very little about it. Last Friday there was a 1-2 minute piece about it, very matter-of-fact. They interviewed Sophie Moniotte, a former ice-dancing champion, who said more or less, "it's nothing new." I have been a little surprised at how little coverage they have given the Olympics in general. The only other thing I have seen on the TV news was about the female skier who won gold. Tonight, though, they had a relatively long bit about Anissina and Peizerat, but with no mention of the "scandal."

I know this is off-topic but I have to pass on a couple examples of Google's "automatic translation."<BR><BR>"The figure skating is a world skimped which evolves/moves in closed mud and took the practice to regulate its quarrels with the shelter of the external glances, in the gangways of the skating rinks."<BR><BR>Excuse me???<BR><BR>Or how about this one?<BR><BR>"Now that the franc does not have any more legal tender, think you that you will smell yourselves perfectly at ease with the euro..." No comment.<BR><BR>Yes, I know that if you don't speak French, or whichever other language, it's probably better than nothing. I've referred people to it, myself. But, really, is this the best they can do? Oh well, at least it's good for a laugh now and then.

Thank you all for responding. I guess it's a non-news item in France. It looks like the French couple won gold in ice dancing without any problem. <BR>Dave