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Keith McCord Reporting On Day 15 of the Salt Lake Games, a high school junior from Great Neck, New York had become the world's best Olympic ice skater. Another gold medalist basked in the glory, while the Russians still complained about the judging.
No one expected it, not even Sarah Hughes, but she lit up the Salt Lake Ice Center with a stunning Gold Medal performance.
Sarah Hughes: "It was great wasn't it? There was such a loud roar at the end of my routine, I could even hear the end of my music."
Jim Shea, who had continued his family Olympic legacy by winning a gold in the skeleton the previous night, took a ride down Park City's Main Street with the Clydesdales, in front of cheering fans.
As the games were beginning to wind down, foreign journalists started to speak out, saying there was a definite western bias in the judging. Korean and Russian officials said gold medals were awarded to Americans who didn't deserve them. Writers from Russia said it happened in previous Olympics, and were disappointed that it was happening again.
"That was the general feeling among the Russian people during last several years, that what had happened here just damaged that in my country.
In fact, the Russians demanded that the skater who finished second to Sarah Hughes, Irina Slutskaya, should get her own gold medal. Four Years ago Today, she did not!
