Judges make sure it ends in jeers

The Winter Olympics were plunged into a predictable and familiar old controversy as Elena Berezhnaya and Anton Sikharulidze won the pairs figure skating title amid jeers and whistles.

The Russian couple maintained their nation's 38-year-old domination of the event by the slimmest of margins - one judge's score.

Yet Canada's world champions, Jamie Sale and David Pelletier, and a partisan North American crowd clearly believed their free programme, which had been flawless in comparison to the one stumble which marred the winners' routine, had been good enough to lift the gold.

Pelletier fell to his knees, kissed the ice and pumped his arms in triumph after their Love Story routine - and the cheers of "Six, six" at the Salt Lake ice centre illustrated how the crowd concurred.

In their wisdom, the judges awarded Berezhnaya and Sikharulidze higher marks for the artistry of their programme, leaving Pelletier to wave his hands in apparent disgust.

In these Games, competitors often have to overcome training injuries en route to striking gold.

Berezhnaya's ailment, however, was rather more appropriate to her theatrical world. She got sunburned in a tanning salon in downtown Salt Lake City last week.

Meanwhile, Britain's snow and ice soldiers just continue to get burned, period.

Thank goodness for Rhona Martin and her women's curling quartet, who seem intent on showing that, just as in Nagano four years ago, they do not intend to be overshadowed by the men at the Ogden ice rink.

While Hammy McMillan's team take on world champions Sweden today, desperately needing a win after their opening 6-4 defeat by Canada, Martin's team have been buoyed by last night's 10-6 win over Norway. Victory against Japan and Sweden today would see them forging towards the medal round.

Sausage has his chips
Meek McMillan curls up and dies
WINTER OLYMPICS GUIDE