Skating judges in Salt Lake City were pressured by US head skating judge Ronald Pfenning

Russian world class figure skating judge Marina Sanaya stated, that judges in pair figure skating on the Olympics in Salt Lake City were pressured by Head Judge Ronald Pfenning. This was disclosed by the Russian judge in the course of the press-conference, devoted to the new scandal with the Russian figure skaters.

According to Sanaya, who judged at the Olympics for the fourth time, Pfenning created an unfavourable psychological atmosphere for the judges and did not allow them "to do their work".

"Before the pair number 3 /Berezhnaya-Sikharulidze/ performance he told us not to give the Russians marks higher than 5,8," Sanaya, who also teaches psychology at the Russian State Academy of Physical Culture, stressed.

President of the Russian Figure Skating Federation /RFSF/ Valentin Piseyev in his turn said that the International Skating Union /ISU/ imposed a penalty on Pfenning for making judging blunders at the US Winter Olympics.