Canadian Synchronized Swimmer Finally Gets Olympic Gold Medal
LAUSANNE, Switzerland — It took more than a year, but Sylvie Frechette of Canada finally got her Olympic gold medal.
The International Olympic Committee executive board agreed Monday that Frechette was a victim of a judging error and should be awarded a gold in synchronized swimming from the 1992 Barcelona Games.
“I’m very happy, but also quite relieved,” Frechette said in Montreal. “This resolves the Olympics for me. I can go on with other things.”
The IOC’s decision does not affect the United States’ Kristen Babb-Sprague, who originally won the gold. She will be able to keep her medal.
The international swimming federation recommended last October that Frechette be awarded the gold medal. She won the silver in Barcelona, but the Canadian swimming federation filed a protest after a Brazilian judge was not allowed to correct the 8.7 score she mistyped into her computer. The intended 9.7 would have given Frechette the gold.
Frechette, 25, who retired from synchronized swimming, does public relations work for the National Bank of Canada.
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