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A new anti-cheating system for counting the judges scores in ice skating is flawed, according to leading sports specialists. Ice skatings governing body announced the new rules last week after concerns that a judge at the Winter Olympics may have been unfairly influenced. Initially the judges in the pairs figure-skating event at the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City voted 5 to 4 to give the gold medal to a Russian pair, even though they had a fall during their routine. But the International Skating Union suspended the French judge for failing to reveal that she had been put under pressure to vote for the Russians. The International Olympics Committee then decided to give a second gold to the Canadian runners-up . The ISU, skatings governing body, now says it intends to change the rules. In future 14 judges will judge each event, but only 7 of their scores-selected at random-will count. The ISU wont finally approve the new system until it meets in June but already UK Sport, the British Governments sports body, has expressed reservations. 1 remain to be convinced that the random selection system would offer the guarantees that everyone concerned with ethical sport is looking for, says Jerry Bingham, UK Sports head of ethics . A random system can still be manipulated, says Mark Dixon, a specialist on sports statistics from the Royal Statistical Society in London. The score of one or two judges who have been nobbled may still be in the seven selected. | 
