AT THE CENTER IS A JUDGING SYSTEM THAT IS SAID TO CONTAIN
NATIONALISTIC BIAS.
STEPHANIE GOSK IS
DIGGING INTO TO WHAT’S
BEHIND THOSE
ALLEGATIONS.
>> Reporter: SHE
FUMBLED A COMPLICATED
JUMP.
THE SOUTH KOREAN
SKATER SEEMED SURE TO
WIN.
BUT IT WAS THIS SKATER
WHO TOOK HOME THE
GOLD.
AFTER SHE LEFT THE
ICE, SHE HUGGED ONE OF
THE NINE JUDGES, A
FELLOW RUSSIAN,
MARRIED TO A LEADER OF
RUSSIA’S SKATING
FEDERATION.
ONE OF TWO OFFICIALS
INVOLVED IN HER
SCORING.
THE SOUTH KOREANS
FILED A COMPLAINT,
ALLEGING IT WAS
RIGGED.
BUT THE INTERNATIONAL
UNION DISMISSED IT.
THEY ANALYZED MORE
THAN 2,000 FIGURE
SKATING SCORES AND
FOUND THAT THE NUMBERS
SHOW SIGNIFICANT BIAS.
>> PRETTY MUCH EVERY
LINE ITEM ON THE SCORE
SHEET, THE SAME
COUNTRY JUDGE WILL BE
ABOUT A QUARTER OF A
POINT HIGHER.
>> Reporter: DO YOU
THINK WE WILL BE ABLE
TO WATCH JUDGING IN
REAL TIME IN
PYEONGCHANG AND SAY
THERE’S SOME BIAS
THERE?
>> I THINK ABSOLUTELY
YOU WILL SEE THE
JUDGES FROM THE SAME
COUNTRY GIVING
SLIGHTLY HIGHER MARKS
TO THEIR COMPETITORS
FROM THEIR COUNTRY.
>> Reporter: HE FOUND
THAT THE NATIONALISTIC
BIAS WAS PARTICULARLY
PRONOUNCED AMONG
JUDGES FROM UKRAINE,
RUSSIA, SOUTH KOREA
AND EVEN THE U.S.
WITH THE OLYMPICS IN
PYEONGCHANG STARTING
LATER THIS WEEK,
CRITICS WORRY THAT
WHAT THEY BELIEVE
HAPPENED IN SOCHI MAY
BE INDICATIVE OF A
LARGER AND CONTINUING
PROBLEM.
FIGURE SKATING’S
INTERNATIONAL
GOVERNING BODY LETS
NATIONAL FEDERATIONS
CHOOSE THE JUDGES THEY
SEND TO THE OLYMPICS.
A NBC NEWS
INVESTIGATION FOUND
THAT OF THE 164 JUDGES
WHO ARE ELIGIBLE FOR
THIS YEAR’S OLYMPICS,
20% HAVE HELD OR
CURRENTLY HOLD
LEADERSHIP POSITIONS
IN THEIR COUNTRY’S
SKATING FEDERATIONS.
A POTENTIAL CONFLICT
OF INTEREST.
THE ISU SANCTIONS
JUDGES WHO ACT
IMPROPERLY BUT SAID IT
HAS NEVER BANNED A
JUDGE FOR LIFE.
THAT IS A MAJOR
PROBLEM, SAYS TIM
GERBER, WHO TRAINED AS
A TECHNICAL SPECIALIST
IN THE SPORT.
>> WELL, I MEAN,
OBVIOUSLY, IF SOMEONE
HAS BEEN SHOWN TO
CHEAT BEFORE, THEN WHY
IS THE ISU STILL
ACCEPTING THEM?
WHAT’S THE LEVEL OF
INTEGRITY HERE?
>> Reporter: QUESTIONS
ABOUT SKATING’S
INTEGRITY AREN’T NEW.
U.S. PROSECUTORS
CHARGED AN ALLEGED
RUSSIAN MOBSTER WITH
FIXING A GOLD MEDAL
VICTORY FOR RUSSIAN
PAIR SKATERS AT THE
TWOOTD OLYMPICS IN
SALT LAKE CITY.
BUT FORMER
PROFESSIONAL SKATER
CHLOE KATZ SAYS MORE
NEEDS TO BE DONE.
IS THERE A PART OF YOU
IN A BUILDUP TO THE
OLYMPIC GAMES WHO
THINKS OH, GOD, I HOPE
THERE’S NOT ANOTHER
SCANDAL?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
WE DEDICATE EVERYTHING
TO OUR SPORT.
YOU GIVE UP SO MUCH.
AND YOU WOULD HOPE
THAT THE JUDGES ARE
FAIR.
>> Reporter: IN A
STATEMENT TO NBC NEWS,
THE INTERNATIONAL
SKATING UNION SAYS IT
HAS A ROBUST SYSTEM TO
MONITOR JUDGES, AND IT
WILL ISSUE PENALTIES
TO ANY JUDGE WHO
OVERMARKS SKATERS.
AS FOR U.S. FIGURE
SKATING, THEY TELL US