I can't judge figure skating because I don't know the criteria. But I think the body language of the two pairs involved in this controvery tells a lot. When the Russians awaited their marks, they looked like they were beaten. They were happy, but they definitely appeared like they knew they didn't get gold. When the Canadians awaited their marks, they looked ecstatic and were just waiting to be told "GOLD". I think that says a lot. Most of the time, these athletes know right off the bat whether they've won or not. The fact that the Russians appeared like they knew they lost, and the Canadians appeared like they knew they won, tells me that this was probably a poorly judged event.
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BTW, I saw an interview with Pelletier before the Olympics and I thought he was too cynical. He kept saying "I'm not going to accept responsibility for not winning gold at the Olympics - I can only try my best and I know I can win the gold" (paraphrased). And I was thinking "wtf?" but I think this controversy puts his comments into perspective. There's only so much you can do before things are out of your hands in this event.