BEIJING, CHINA - FEBRUARY 06: Kamila Valieva of Team Russian Olympic Committee competes in the Women Single Skating Short Program during the Figure Skating Team Event at Capital Indoor Stadium on February 06, 2022 in Beijing, China. (Photo by Annice Lyn/Getty Images)
The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) issued a retroactive four-year doping ban to Russian star figure skater Kamila Valieva on January 29, which could change the results of the Olympic event held in Beijing in 2022.
Valieva was on a team of skaters representing Russia who won provisionally over the U.S., although the medal ceremony was postponed until the adjudication of Valieva’s case. Now, the athletes who represented the U.S. in figure skating in Beijing are awaiting their moment to be recognized.
U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee CEO Sarah Hirshland recognized the global anticipation for these athletes.
“We now anticipate the day when we can wholeheartedly celebrate these athletes, along with their peers from around the world,” she said. “Their moment is approaching, and when it arrives, it will serve as a testament to the justice and recognition they truly deserve.”
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Valieva, now 17, tested positive when she was 15. The international anti-doping rules indicate that athletes under the age of 16 may face smaller punishments than those who are 16 and over. However, the CAS noted that Russia’s anti-doping rules do not differentiate based on age, which allowed her disqualification to proceed.
The International Skating Union (ISU) also came out with a statement regarding the CAS ruling on Valieva. The retroactive ban began four years of ineligibility on December 25, 2021, disqualifying her team’s performance in the Beijing 2022 Winter Games.
“Ms. Valieva will be disqualified from all competitions which took place during the period of ineligibility, this includes the ISU European Figure Skating Championships 2022. She will also be disqualified from the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games Women’s single competition and all her individual results and points in the Short Program and the Free Skating competitions will be dismissed.”
The disqualification of Russia’s women’s figure skating team led to a re-ranking in the Olympics, which put the U.S. in first, Japan in second, and left Russia in third due to the cumulative ranking system, which ranks the countries based on their performance in the men’s, women’s, pairs and ice dance events altogether.
View the rankings in a statement from the ISU released on January 30.
Valieva was only allowed to compete in the 2022 Olympics after the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) lifted her suspension due to an appeal from Valieva. The International Olympic Committee, World Anti-Doping Agency and the ISU then appealed RUSADA’s lifting of her suspension, which allowed Valieva to compete in the competition while her case was still being adjudicated.
Now, Valieva’s case is complete. Her retroactive ban is active, and Olympic athletes are getting what they deserve. Valieva will be eligible for the next winter Olympic games in 2026, but until then, the U.S. figure skating will hold the title.
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