The International Olympic Committee (IOC) today announced a shared gold medal for Canadians Jamie Sale and David Pelletier in the Winter Olympics pairs figure skating.
The decision was announced by the IOC chief Jacques Rogge at a joint press conference with the president of the International Skating Union Ottavio Cinquanta.
"I convened an executive board meeting of the International Olympic Committee that was held this morning and we received an official proposal from the International Skating Union to award a gold medal to Sale and Pelletier," said Rogge.
"The executive board of the IOC agreed and a gold medal will be awarded to the Canadian pair," he added.
The decision followed a bitter judging row over Monday's pairs skating finale which saw the gold narrowly going to Russians Elena Berezhnaya and Anton Sikharulidze ahead of the Canadians.
The result provoked an angry outcry and charges that the judges' verdict had been rigged.
This particularly concerned a French judge who it was alleged agreed to vote for the Russians in return for eastern bloc support for the French couple in the ice dance.