Ice dance judges in hottest of hot seats

The most intensely scrutinised ice dance event in Olympic history starts on Friday with the nine-strong judging panel possibly well-advised to don asbestos underwear as they slide into their hot seats.

Amid the continuing row over Monday's pairs event, the world will be watching more intently than ever when the sport's most controversial discipline in scoring terms gets underway.

To add to the intrigue, Ukraine's judge will be Yuri Balkov, the man who Canadian colleague Jean Senft captured on audio tape in Nagano outlining what the final results would be in the 1998 Olympic ice dance event they were both judging.

Senft reported Balkov and both ended up being suspended -- Balkov for a year and Senft for six months.

Balkov is back on duty with International Skating Union president Ottavio Cinquanta telling a news conference on Wednesday: "His suspension has expired and he is entitled to judge again."

When the random draw was made for which countries would judge the event here, French, Canadian and American representatives failed to get on the panel.

The 10 countries, from which the nine judges will be selected, are Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Germany, Italy, Poland, Russia, Ukraine, Switzerland, Lithuania and Israel.

They are charged with judging what looks like an open contest with as many as five couples capable of taking the title.

Despite the controversy from Monday's pairs when Russians Yelena Berezhnaya and Anton Sikharulidze captured the gold ahead of Canada's Jamie Sale and David Pelletier, competitors and coaches remain optimistic their event will be fairly judged.

EXCITING EVENT

It should make for an exciting event - assuming the judges also complete a clear round over the three days.

Based on their performances this season, France's Marina Anissina and Gwendal Peizerat, the 2000 world champions, and Canada's Shae-Lynn Bourne and Victor Kraatz are the likely favourites.

The reigning world champions from Italy, Barbara Fusar Poli and Maurizio Margaglio, lost to both the French and Canadians this season as their star seemed to fade.

Russians Irina Lobacheva and Ilia Averbukh are somewhat of a wild card after injury meant that their first big event of the season was the European championships where they finished third behind the French and Italians.

Lithuania's Margarita Drobiazko and Povilas Vanagas are perennial crowd favourites but never seem to get quite the same reaction from the judges.

Bourne and Kraatz's coach Nikolei Morozov said on Wednesday that he believes the uproar over the pairs result might stop any indiscretions.

Some press reports have alleged a possible trade-off between judges of countries in the pairs with those in the ice dance.

But International Olympic Committee director general said on Wednesday Cinquanta had guaranteed the ice dance would proceed in "the most regular way."