Russian Figure Skater tests positive for drugs - delays ceremony for team medals

[Hanna]

Might Kamila now wish to withdraw - surely she doesn’t want to deprive the other ladies medallists of their ceremony?

I think it's 100% certain that Kamila herself has absolutely no say in whether she competes or not. It's all about what her team tells her to do.

 

[Amantide]

I'm for Teams USA & JPN... as well as if any other woman besides ROC happens to medal in Beijing.

ETA:

Full IOC statement:

The IOC has to follow the rule of law and will therefore have to allow her to compete in the Women’s Single Skating competition on Tuesday, 15 February 2022 and, if qualified, on 17 February 2022.

The CAS has clearly expressed that the decision taken by the Ad-hoc Division today is not a decision on whether Ms Valieva violated the anti-doping rules. It was limited to the sole question of whether Ms Valieva could be provisionally suspended from the Olympic competition following a positive A-sample taken on 25 December 2021.

The management of the case after this positive A-sample has not yet been concluded. Only after due process has been followed can it be established whether Ms Valieva infringed the World Anti-Doping Code (WADC) and would have to be sanctioned.

This inconclusive situation led the IOC EB to the following decisions, after having had initial consultations with the National Olympic Committees (NOCs) concerned:

1. In the interest of fairness to all athletes and the NOCs concerned, it would not be appropriate to hold the medal ceremony for the figure skating team event during the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022 as it would include an athlete who on the one hand has a positive A-sample, but whose violation of the anti-doping rules has not yet been established on the other hand.

2. Should Ms Valieva finish amongst the top three competitors in the Women’s Single Skating competition, no flower ceremony and no medal ceremony will take place during the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022.

3. The IOC requests the International Skating Union (ISU), for reasons of fairness, to allow a 25th competitor to participate in the free skating part of the competition on 17 February, in case Ms Valieva is ranked in the first 24 of the short programme on 15 February.

4. The IOC will, in consultation with the athletes and NOCs concerned, organise dignified medal ceremonies once the case of Ms Valieva has been concluded.

I don't know what to think about point 3 tbh. On one hand I get it and agree. But what if Valieva medals (which she will bar disaster happens) ? Will they add the skater which finishes in 4rth place on the podium?

 

[Amantide]

I can open it.

Now I can too. I think my VPN was interfering, which is weird.

Regarding the article, I think he makes a very good point whether you are for or against Valieva competing. The adults in the room have totally failed here, and I mean ALL of them. Including WADA, IOC, ISU, RUSADA, Russian Fed and her team.

 

[ribbon]

I think CAS made the wrong decision. I also think if it were another sport it wouldn’t have been that decision….figure skating once again is dismissed as not a sport, at least subconsciously.

it’s unfair to everyone. If Kamila skates great, there will always be an asterisk next to her name for any skating fan or fellow competitor (and maybe even in herself).

And Eteri probably is not shaking in her boots about any reprimands. She goes back to Russia after the Olympics and will be treated as a heroine for likely having three top finishers. If a medal is stripped, her system of training and potential drugging of her stars has still been awarded by the CAS.

 

[angi]

I'm appalled by this decision, especially since it sets a precedent that CAS can basically ignore WADA rules if they feel sorry enough for the athlete.
There's a saying we have where I'm from that (roughly) translates into something like:
"he who has mercy for the cruel, will end up being cruel to the merciful"

This is what CAS did here, by showing mercy to Valieva (who might not be "cruel" herself but comes from that place) they are being cruel to every other clean athlete in the games, to all the skaters from the US and Japan who won a team medal and will be robbed of the experience of being awarded an Olympic medal (for most it will be the only Olympic medal they'll ever get), to the ladies in the women event who will know they are competing next to skaters who used performance enhancing drugs, and for those who will come 4-6 in the women event and might end up getting an Olympic medal in the mail once the WADA investigation hopefully uncovers what we all suspect happeneing.

 

[Karina1974]

I guess her coaches might as well just dope her up right now before the short program since apparently she's too young to face ramifications as a "protected person."

That is part of the problem right there. If you want to compete with the adults, than you should be subject to the SAME rules as someone 25. Or 35. Otherwise, stay in Juniors until you turn 18.

18 should be the low age cutoff for Senior/Olympic level competition. In all sports.

 

[VGThuy]

I think CAS made the wrong decision. I also think if it were another sport it wouldn’t have been that decision….figure skating once again is dismissed as not a sport, at least subconsciously.

it’s unfair to everyone. If Kamila skates great, there will always be an asterisk next to her name for any skating fan or fellow competitor (and maybe even in herself).

And Eteri probably is not shaking in her boots about any reprimands. She goes back to Russia after the Olympics and will be treated as a heroine for likely having three top finishers. If a medal is stripped, her system of training and potential drugging of her stars has still been awarded by the CAS.

Excellent point. They went out of their way to not apply the WADA code and emphasized her age as a reason for doing so, thus seeing her as a little girl who needs to be protected from harm and not as a legitimate Olympic athlete and also dismissed all the other competitors competing in the Womens event because somewhere deep down, they’re just like “It’s womens figure skating, it’s not a real sport so who cares about fair play? They’re all little girls anyway, right? It’s basically like a costume party.”

 

[Karina1974]

Tara and Johnny just on NBC with Mike.

Tara strongly disagrees with this decision. She talks about how hard it is to be 15, but clean sport is what matters and fairly.

Johnny condemns this decision "with every ounce of his soul." It doesn't matter about how old you are and whether there is a delay. Also says that it's a slap in the face to all clean Olympians. I think it must be very hard for him.

Mike asks Tara and Johnny about being teenagers and what they know about banned substances. Tara says she definitely knew and that she and her mother were incredibly careful about what she consumed and would check on what medications to take.

They began testing at 11 and 13 respectively.

Mike asks if TMZ helps to do a quad.

Tara says that you don't need it to do a quad, but if you can train more by using TMZ then you are more likely to be able to do the quads.

Johnny emphasizes that it doesn't matter if it helped K because it is banned.

Johnny talks about his visit to Russia and Eteri. Johnny says he has no way of knowing about doping because they wouldn't have shown him, but ROC is ROC for a reason.

Johnny and Tara also notes that this is bad for the sport because what parents want to put their kids in a sport that isn't fair.

Tara again emphasizes that age should not be a reason for decision.

And USOC not happy.

Exactly. Thanks for the summary. I wanted to stay up for the result, but I have to be to work by 8:30 this morning.

 

[Amantide]

So far, I've heard WADA, IOC, ISU, ITA, CAS, RUSADA, various journalists and "experts", pundits, TSL, fans etc. etc., but I haven't heard Kamila and her team yet. Until then, I'll reserve my judgment in regards to what happened or didn't happen.

Having said that, things as they are right now suck big time. Especially for the innocents, who are the rest of the skaters not involved in all this mess, Russian skaters included. This is not a victory or justice for Kamila. Whatever medal she ends up winning (if), it will be stained. Her name will be stained, it already is. I don't think anything is worth that much, least of all an OGM. She is done with this sport, for good, and her medal will be worthless. Unless, she will prove that not only she didn't knew what was given to her (that's not enough at this point). But that the substance ended up in her through a contaminated product, or the A sample is a mistake. That's the only way I can see her name cleared, and I hope wholeheartedly she will be able to do that.

 

[Scott512]

I think the cas statement did not exonerate KV. But I think the statement made it pretty clear she was not treated fairly or that urine sample was not handled in a timely matter and that affected her at the Olympics when the positive drug test should have happened weeks before that and she may not have even gone to Beijing.

According to what I read the ioc rules are a minor athlete who tested positive for a banned substance cannot be treated as an adult athlete who tested positive for a banned substance. An adult athlete who tested positive for a banned substance and that was confirmed would be suspended for at least 2 years and lose their medals. KV is a minor and drastic penalties like those are not supposed to happen to her. Hey they wrote the rules.

After the Olympics I think we might have weeks or maybe even months of Investigations trying to figure out and confirm how this girl got TMZ her system.

I don't know if she has anything left mentally after this ordeal. I hope Valieva has a decent practice today because I think Anna and Sasha are worn out being there like 11 days already and not even competing. The team event got in the way of everything they need to move it to after the individual competition in the future.. it would be a more fun event at the end of the Olympics everybody could be happy and skaters wouldn't have to worry about skating again because they would have about six weeks between the Olympics and worlds to rest recover and then train again.

 

[Karina1974]

https://olympics.com/ioc/news/ioc-eb-decides-no-medal-ceremonies-following-cas-decision-on-the-case-of-roc-skater

IOC statement:
1. Team Event medal ceremony will not be held in Beijing
2. If Valieva medals there will be no flower or medal ceremony
3. IOC is requesting ISU to allow 25 skaters to qualify for the free if Valieva is in the top 24.

Medal ceremonies will be organised once the full doping case is concluded.

I'm glad they are trying to make it slightly fairer to the other skaters, but it is such a shame about the TE medals, especially for Vincent. I suppose for the women they really don't want the optics of a full Eteri podium with all this mess going on.

Ugh, this reminds me of the 2000 team final for women's gymnastics. How the US team didn't get their bronze until YEARS later. Chow and Dawes at least knew what it felt like to stand on an Olympic podium, but the others were deprived of that experience.

I'm with those who are saying "I'm done." Both gymnastics and skating have become letdowns for me in recent years. I honestly think the US should have been sanctioned after the Nassar scandal.

 

[skatingguy]

Wow. Will they give the other teams medals in private or let them leave with nothing?

The IOC really does not want to give out medals, and then have to have them returned & the ceremony redone so they will leave all medal ceremonies affected until a final decision is made.

 

[Tesla]

According to what I read the ioc rules are a minor athlete who tested positive for a banned substance cannot be treated as an adult athlete who tested positive for a banned substance. An adult athlete who tested positive for a banned substance and that was confirmed would be suspended for at least 2 years and lose their medals. KV is a minor and drastic penalties like those are not supposed to happen to her. Hey they wrote the rules.

She tested positive. Since she’s minor, I think she should be suspended for 6 months.

 

[flyingsit]

I will not watch ladies FS at this Olympics, and possibly never again if this stands.

 

[Scott512]

I'm appalled by this decision, especially since it sets a precedent that CAS can basically ignore WADA rules if they feel sorry enough for the athlete.
There's a saying we have where I'm from that (roughly) translates into something like:
"he who has mercy for the cruel, will end up being cruel to the merciful"

This is what CAS did here, by showing mercy to Valieva (who might not be "cruel" herself but comes from that place) they are being cruel to every other clean athlete in the games, to all the skaters from the US and Japan who won a team medal and will be robbed of the experience of being awarded an Olympic medal (for most it will be the only Olympic medal they'll ever get), to the ladies in the women event who will know they are competing next to skaters who used performance enhancing drugs, and for those who will come 4-6 in the women event and might end up getting an Olympic medal in the mail once the WADA investigation hopefully uncovers what we all suspect happeneing.

KV is a minor age athlete according to the ioc rules she cannot be treated as an adult age athlete who tested positive for a banned substance. She is not subjected to the same IOC penalties an adult age athlete would be like a two-year suspension from competitions. Now if it turns out this was not a one-time thing with her like if they take a hair sample from her and find out it happened before then I think maybe the ioc should think about treating Kamila as an adult athlete since she's going to be 16 very soon. I don't know if there's wiggle room with their rules and if they're so upset with the Russian Federation if the ioc would come back in a few months and try to suspend KV for 2 or 4 years as an adult athlete. I am sad that this phenom has to pay the price due to the mistakes of her older countrymen.

I think Russian parents and all parents need to get more involved in there figure skating children's lives and not leave everything to coaches and teams.

Thsvfifteen-year-old athlete deserves to have legal representation since she has been convicted everywhere in the world already.
I think that's why so many people are outraged by the CAS ruling. It was also tough knowing under such stress this child was not able to have her parents with her I think that was ridiculous.

I do wish the Russian Federation had withdrawn KV from the Olympics a few days ago and thrown her on the mercy of the ioc. That would have been a better look and she never would have gotten into severe trouble because their rules state that as a minor athlete she pretty much walks free. But if we expect the Russian Sports leaders to make good decisions I don't think any of us expect that and sending Anna and Sasha to Beijing so early when they weren't going to be in the team event was ridiculous now they're burnt out and not practicing well. TT usually goes to major competitions two days early Sasha and Anna have been there like 11 days already without competing. I don't think Kamila is a doper but if the B sample confirms the positive doping tests or a hair sample confirms a positive doping test then at the very least she was doped by somebody. That person or people need to be stopped and face legal issues. Also Kamila may not understand the difference between testing positive and being an outright doper. She is very lucky she's not yet 16 or she would be facing at least a two-year suspension and the loss of her metal or any metal she wins but as a minor athlete she's not supposed to be subjected to those penalties.
Before I knew the rules about how the ioc treats minor aged athletes I thought Valley AVA might get anywhere from a nine-month suspension to a two-year suspension. The shorter suspension would not have ruined her career and would have put some teeth and some discipline about testing positive for a banned substance even if you didn't know you were taking it or what you were taking. Right now this fifteen-year-old girl is benefiting from the ioc rules for minor age athletes there's no question about it.

It's an unfortunate situation. There will be investigations and hopefully they will find out how this substance got in this girls system and who played a role in getting it there. It's unbelievable to think that they would put a banned substance an athlete who so gifted and so much better than the field.

I also find it interesting that Valievas drug tests at Europeans and the Olympics have come back clean. Maybe someone in the Russian Federation thought they could help her at Nationals but only Nationals.

 

[Karen-W]

I will not watch ladies FS at this Olympics, and possibly never again if this stands.

I will watch all of it but the Russian women (and I won't watch Tarasova/Morozov in pairs). I cannot and will not support any of the skaters who train under Tutberidze.

 

[Scott512]

She tested positive. Since she’s minor, I think she should be suspended for 6 months.

You mean immediately suspended at the Olympics and then worlds and then coming back in september? I would have been fine with a nine-month suspension but with the way the ioc has written the rules for disciplining minor age athletes I don't think any suspension is likely. Minor age athletes who tests positive for a banned substance are not subjected to the same disciplines adult age athletes are who test positive for a banned substance. But if the ioc really wants to suspend her they can probably legally find a way to do it once the B sample comes back positive or a hair sample comes back positive. I would just hope it would be a short-term suspension because KV is a victim as well. There is no reason to ruin her career over this with a long suspension and I agree even as a big fan of hers a short-term suspension is needed it just to keep coaches managers and parents on top of things and make sure let their child gets clearance on any medicines that they put in their systems at they call their parents or personal doctors and ask them what is this should I take it?

I don't ever expect the Russian Federation to make the Right Moves when it comes to sports but I would have pulled her out a few days ago and sent her home to her family because KV does not look well and the most important thing is to protect her not subject her to more hostility and bad feelings. Anna or Sasha could win the ladies gold even at less than 100% health.

 

[AYS]

Tara and Johnny just on NBC with Mike.

Tara strongly disagrees with this decision. She talks about how hard it is to be 15, but clean sport is what matters and fairly.

Johnny condemns this decision "with every ounce of his soul." It doesn't matter about how old you are and whether there is a delay. Also says that it's a slap in the face to all clean Olympians. I think it must be very hard for him.

Mike asks Tara and Johnny about being teenagers and what they know about banned substances. Tara says she definitely knew and that she and her mother were incredibly careful about what she consumed and would check on what medications to take.

They began testing at 11 and 13 respectively.

Mike asks if TMZ helps to do a quad.

Tara says that you don't need it to do a quad, but if you can train more by using TMZ then you are more likely to be able to do the quads.

Johnny emphasizes that it doesn't matter if it helped K because it is banned.

Johnny talks about his visit to Russia and Eteri. Johnny says he has no way of knowing about doping because they wouldn't have shown him, but ROC is ROC for a reason.

Johnny and Tara also notes that this is bad for the sport because what parents want to put their kids in a sport that isn't fair.

Tara again emphasizes that age should not be a reason for decision.

And USOC not happy.

This says it all at this point, thanks for summarizing this.

And I agree with Adam Rippon - they've ruined this for everyone.

I'm so angry that the TE medalists don't get their day in the sun on the podium (even more so because I'm sad my faves C/B ended in FORTH in the IE and I wanted them to fully enjoy their TE accomplishment. It's a pall over the women's event and the the entire sport.

 

[flyingsit]

Frankly at this point if I were the ISU i’d revoke Russia’s membership.

 

[barbarafan]

So RUSADA didn't expedite shipping of the sample(s)? Why?

It was on Putin's desk...he was too busy to deal with it because he had countries to invade....PPL to poison.....competition to imprison.

 

[Karen-W]

Frankly at this point if I were the ISU i’d revoke Russia’s membership.

At minimum, I would ban them from Worlds for at least this season until they can get the age minimum raised.

 

[Areski]

Oh ... so they let Valiyeva to skate after all? I am surprised actually and I am not sure whether she will be in the right headspace to do well though and even if she does so she still may get her possible medal* stripped I think afterall, yikes.

*actually medals because ROC Team Event OGM would also get invalidated.

Or maybe Putin did threaten someone there?

 

[barbarafan]

according to this dude Kamila is IN!!!!

https://twitter.com/jamesgraysport/status/1493100565391618048?s=20&t=smJS5rxBmbr4rPtj0xuYiw

ETA - but the investigation will continue and she can have her medal taken away after the fact.

Also...if she wins in the top 3 - there will be no medal ceremony at this time.

 

[PRlady]

If I were a woman skater from another country, especially other big Feds, I’d actually boycott this competition. Imagine what it would look like tomorrow if only the Russians showed up to skate, along with maybe the Russians skating for dependent countries like Belarus and Azerbaijan. Talk about meaningless victories.

(Believe me I understand why any young athlete wouldn’t withdraw from a comp they’ve been preparing for their whole life. But if the Americans, Japanese, Canadians and Koreans withdrew, it would essentially negate the competition, which as far as I’m concerned has happened anyway,)

 

[Ladida]

Well, check Gubanova's Instastory - Good luck to all the skaters EXCEPT icons for pills, injections, DNA, test tube

 

[Deleted member 221]

(Believe me I understand why any young athlete wouldn’t withdraw from a comp they’ve been preparing for their whole life. But if the Americans, Japanese, Canadians and Koreans withdrew, it would essentially negate the competition, which as far as I’m concerned has happened anyway,)

I view the IOC/ISU's message as signaling that they believe Valieva will be DQ'ed eventually. Given that, I think the skaters should compete.

If the IOC/ISU had not announced 25 athletes in the free + no medal ceremony if it includes Valieva, I'd be right there with you. Except I think it should be done at a federation level, rather than the skaters, i.e., if USA, JPN, CAN, and KOR together made a decision to withdraw all of their skaters. It's not right to stick this on the skaters. Someone like Karen Chen has very little to lose (second Olympics, skating poorly, won a medal in the team event, no real medal shot unless all of the Russians and probably some others get DQ'ed), while others like Mariah Bell have everything to lose.

 

[DreamSkates]

I feel bad for the clean athletes on the podium, who were robbed of the medal experience but I blame no one but RUSADA and CAS for that mess. Since the women will be an all-Eteri podium anyway, I don’t care. If a non-Eteri skater finds herself winning a medal, then I’ll feel sorry for her.

THIS x 1,000. So unfair to the team medalists not to have the Olympic moment of donning their shiny, well-deserved medals at the venue in Beijing. This can’t be done later and be the same experience.

 

[DreamSkates]

I think it's 100% certain that Kamila herself has absolutely no say in whether she competes or not. It's all about what her team tells her to do.

Disagree. Why would she get this far and not fight to compete? Not that I think she should….for me,99% blame goes to the 3 coaches, doctor and history of allowing doping in Russia.

 

[DreamSkates]

Silent protest is what I will do. If watching live, switch to another channel when any of the 3 Russians skate and if by replay then fast forward through those skates.
I said all 3 because if this situation is an indication of what’s going on in Sambo, all 3 could have been doping with the coaches being careful about when and when not to.

 

[Spikefan]

She is going to compete, have you seen the highest praise from everyone in Russia? That is likely all they are letting her read and she likely believes it. She will have hero/martyr status back home so whatever happens months or years from now won’t matter. Nothing will happen to Eteri camp either. Parents will still send their children there as they will believe the victim narrative.