Valieva has been banned for four years for doping. Image: REUTERS
Olympic medals will be given to Kamila Valieva two years after the event.
For participants who were not present when the Russian figure skaters won team gold at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, a “dignified medal ceremony” has been scheduled.
Russia’s Kamila Valieva failed a doping test, so medals were not given out; however, the United States will now win gold, Japan silver, and Russia bronze.
On Monday, Valieva, 17, who was 15 at the time, was given a four-year suspension.
The International Olympic Committee released a statement saying, “We have great sympathy with the athletes who have had to wait.
“In addition, a Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas) decision erased Valieva’s test results from December 25, 2021, which also marked the beginning of her backdated ban.
The Russian team was demoted to the bronze medal position on Tuesday by the International Skating Union (ISU), the sport’s governing body, following the removal of Valieva’s scores.
After finishing with a silver medal, the United States will now receive a gold medal, while Japan will only receive a silver.
After finishing in fourth place two years prior, it was expected that Canada would take home the bronze.
Once Valieva’s scores were subtracted, though, they were one point behind the Russian squad at the finish.
The ISU’s ruling “extremely disappointed” Skate Canada, the country’s governing organisation.
“Skate Canada strongly disagrees with the ISU’s position on this matter and will consider all options to appeal this decision,” it stated.
An IOC representative stated: “The athletes from the team figure skating competition at the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022 can now finally receive their medals, for which they have been waiting for a very long time.
The IOC welcomes the fact that the Cas verdict offers clarity in this situation.
“The medals can now be given out by the IOC. We sincerely sympathise with the athletes who were forced to wait two years to get the competition’s final results.
” The IOC stated that “in order to organise a dignified Olympic medal ceremony,” it will get in touch with the Olympic Committees of the relevant countries.
“[It is] further proof of the need to address the part played by the athletes’ entourage in doping cases,” the IOC said in reference to Valieva’s case.
If the athletes are minors, who depend considerably more on their entourage, then this is even more crucial.
” Only after Valieva had helped Russia win team gold did word of her failing test surface.
Following an examination, the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (Rusada) concluded that the adolescent had “no fault or negligence” in the failed test.
Because of the “contaminated cutlery” that her team has always insisted upon, she unintentionally consumed some of her grandfather’s heart medication, trimetazidine, which is prohibited for use by athletes.
The ISU and the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) challenged the decision, and Cas granted their appeal.
“After today’s decision, we look forward to the day when we can truly celebrate these athletes, along with their international counterparts,” stated Sarah Hirshland, CEO of the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee.
The Russian athletes’ rights will be protected, the Kremlin has declared, and it does not recognise the Cas finding or the decision to drop Russia to bronze.
Dmitry Peskov, a spokesman for the Kremlin, stated, “We are convinced that for us they will always remain Olympic champions, no matter what decisions are made in this regard, even unfair ones.”
The Russian Olympic Committee declared that it would file an appeal with the ISU.