My two sisters were figure skaters, and they got up into the pretty rarefied atmosphere of the sport. My older sister, Mary, and her partner, Donald Laws, won the National Silver Dance Championship in 1948. Then she turned professional and went to teach skating in Kingston, Ontario. Married, retired, raised a batch of kids, still living there. My younger sister, Pat, won the National Junior Ladies in 1953 and went on to skate in the World Championships in Vienna in 1955. She placed seventh, behind Tenley Albright who had won it three times and Carol Heiss who went on to win five times. So my kid sister was out there playin' with the big kids. She also turned professional, taught various places including Portland, Oregon (she remembers giving some lessons to a feisty little blond kid named Tonya Harding). Married, retired, raised a batch of kids, currently living in Newcastle, across Lake Washington from Seattle.

As a result, I've seen a helluva lot of figure skating, including a number of National Championships.

Sale and Pelletier laid down the most shiningly flawless program I have ever seen.

I was aware that there is frequent hanky-panky among the judges and that vote-trading goes on, but this was the most blatant travesty I have ever seen. I couldn't believe they would be so obvious about it. I hope the appropriate authorities investigate the bejesus out of this, permanently disqualify the judges involved, and right the wrong that's been done. After all, everything is on videotape, and both programs can easily be studied and analyzed. But I doubt it will happen.

I haven't had a chance to talk to my sister Pat about this, but I'll sure be interested to hear what she has to say.

Don Firth