Russians survive battles on and off ice

Yelena Berezhnaya and Anton Sikharulidze came under heavy pressure from an unfriendly media after beating Canada's Jamie Sale and David Pelletier by the narrowest of margins in Monday's figure skating pairs.

It was Russia's first Olympic gold at the Winter Games, but a hugely controversial one.

The Russians were forced to fend off some tough questions from Canadian and American journalists, many of whom felt that the Canadian world champions had been robbed of the gold.

The judges voted five to four in favour of the Russians, who preserved the country's gold-medal streak in Olympic pairs competition dating back to 1964.

"It was a gold-medal performance," insisted Sikharulidze, who had a minor glitch on landing his double axel.

"We tried to skate with emotions, with everything. There was no fall, no big mistake. If something was wrong with my jump, it was a minor thing."

Even the Russian media also turned against Berezhnaya and Sikharulidze during the press conference when they began answering questions in English rather than Russian.

Sikharulidze got into a shouting match with one of the Russian reporters who yelled: "You have to be ashamed of yourself if you are not speaking in your native language.

"You have no respect for your own country and your people," claimed the reporter.

The skater snapped back: "If you're going to talk to me in such a way, I am never going to speak with you in any language."

DECISION DEFENDED

But the couple's coach Tamara Moskvina defended their decision to speak in English.

"Definitely, being here in North America, with majority of press from the U.S. or Canada, they must speak English," said Moskvina, ever-diplomatic.

Sikharulidze had escaped unhurt from a full-speed collision with Sale during the pre-skate warm-ups which felled the petite Canadian.

"It was kind of a freak accident... it really shook me up and knocked the wind out of me," Sale said.

Sikharulidze saw it differently, telling reporters: "It was a small accident, but it didn't affect my performance."

Moskvina felt her couple were worthy champions.

"Yelena and Anton have more speed than the Canadian pair, they have better steps, more variations, their lifts are stronger," said Moskvina, who has now coached four Olympic pairs champions.

Pressed over claims that the victory might have been down to more judges being from Eastern Europe than North America, Moskvina said: "It's always perceived that when the Russians win it's the Eastern bloc.

"Well, the Canadians' win at the last world championships in Vancouver was also a controversial one, so there is always going to be controversy, no matter what.

"However, it will be quickly forgotten, but the gold medal will stay with them for the rest of their lives."