PARIS, Feb 26 (AFP) - The president of the French Ice Skating Federation (FFSG) defended here Tuesday the French judge Marie-Reine Le Gougne who was at the centre of the 'skategate' scandal at the Salt Lake City Olympics and blamed the 'Anglo Saxon' establishment for stirring up the crisis.

Didier Gailhaguet said Le Gougne had voted for the Russian pair Elena Berezhnaya and Anton Sikharulidze with her 'soul and conscience' and her only offence was she had been politically incorrect in not allocating her vote to the Canadian pair Jamie Sale and David Pelletier.

Gailhaguet himself has been accused of being the puppeteer who pressurised Le Gougne into voting for the Russians in exchange for the latter voting for the French in the ice dancing competition.

However Gailhaguet claimed it was because the French had offended the Anglo-Saxon establishment so much fuss had been made of her decision for which she was suspended and the Canadians awarded a belated gold medal - Le Gougne has hired an American law firm to clear her name.

"We have to call a halt to this hypocrisy and declare that in ice skating lobbying for votes does not exist," Gailhaguet said.

"Since the sport existed, judges have spoken to coaches, judges have spoken to officials and judges have spoken among themselves.

"Judges are capable of making mistakes," he added.

Gailhaguet launched a strong defense of his compatriot.

"Marie-Reine was subjected to enormous pressures but she voted with her soul and her conscience.

"The real problem is that she voted in a politically incorrect manner.

"The nub of the whole thing is that France annoys the Anglo-Saxon establishment.

"France is not hypocritical, she fights for her athletes and will make several relevant propositions to the International Skating Union (ISU) Congress (where changes on the voting system will be discussed)," he added.

Dailhaguet also slammed the decision to award two gold medals in the pairs event declaring it to be nonsensical.

"That will set an unwelcome precedent and cause innumerable problems in the future," he said.

"It is a decision taken in the heat of the moment," he added.

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