Union bans Chinese Olympic figure skating judges for bias

Sui Wenjing and Han Cong of China perform in the pairs free skate figure skating final in the Gangneung Ice Arena at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Gangneung, South Korea, Thursday, Feb. 15, 2018. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson)

Alina Zagitova of the Olympic Athletes of Russia performs during the women's free figure skating final in the Gangneung Ice Arena at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Gangneung, South Korea, Friday, Feb. 23, 2018. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

MOSCOW — The International Skating Union says competitions at February’s Olympics were marred by biased judging in favor of China, the next Winter Olympic host nation.

An ISU investigation found Chinese judges Chen Weiguang and Huang Feng guilty of boosting Chinese skaters’ marks.

The ISU says Huang also dragged down the marks of German pair Aliona Savchenko and Bruno Massot, who won gold ahead of China’s Sui Wenjing and Han Cong in second.

Even with Chen’s alleged manipulation of marks, Chinese skater Jin Boyang missed the medals in the men’s competition, finishing fourth.

The ISU says the judges “committed one of the most serious ethical offences a judge can be accused of.”

Huang was banned for a year, while Chen is suspended for two years and banned from judging the 2022 Olympics in Beijing.