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

[Mafke]

What should have happened....

team with valieva was disqualified automatically (like the Romanian gymnast who lost her medal due to the team doctor not realizing that medications in Australia could have different ingredients than medicines with the same name had in Romania.. that case was soooooo stupid.

medal ceremony with US, Japan and Canada receiving medals

then the russians can appeal the disqualification and if they ever won then the russian team would also be awarded gold medals...

I'm stupified that that didn't happen and it points to entirely too much power being held by russian crybullies.

 

[Vagabond]

The entire fallout from Sochi, including skaters who did not receive invitations in 2018 and having to send samples to labs abroad, must prove that no doping ever happened in Russia.

Just as there are no gays in Russia, there is no doping either.

 

[SkateFanBerlin]

They're just pissed that Vincent had the nerve to say what we've all thought for a long time - the doping in Russian figure skating isn't/wasn't limited to Valieva.

Must be something in that Bay Area water, because Polina Edmunds has said the same as Vincent - that there is doping in Russian figure skating and it's essentially an open secret.

And, with no scrutiny for two years they`ve likely cooked up all kinds concoctions to give their skaters unfair advantage.

 

[taz'smum]

And, with no scrutiny for two years they`ve likely cooked up all kinds concoctions to give their skaters unfair advantage.

Not strictly true, as Tiff was tested by RUSADA this year before her retirement.
They sent 2 testers all the way to France to test her!

She was not in the ISU doping pool, just RUSADA's pool.
However, if she had tested positive, she would've been disqualified as for any other skater testing positive!

 

[airgelaal]

I remember stories from different sports when athletes withdrew from competitions when they found out that RUSADA had arrived.
This year there was a major hockey scandal in russia, when almost the entire hockey team was caught doping. The hockey players insisted that their coach forced them to take doping. Anonymous sources claimed that RUSADA could have warned in advance who and where they would test.
It’s difficult for me to talk about the presence of doping in russian figure skating, but I have no doubt that in many other sports a lot is hidden behind the scenes.

 

[Mafke]

the presence of doping in russian figure skating

Well it's a technique sport (or it's supposed to be) so theoretically most doping woulnd't really help. But the horse has escaped the barn and I pretty much look at almost all russian 'champions' as cheaters now...

 

[airgelaal]

Well it's a technique sport (or it's supposed to be) so theoretically most doping woulnd't really help. But the horse has escaped the barn and I pretty much look at almost all russian 'champions' as cheaters now...

I used to think so too. But now, as for me, endurance has become the most important factor. And here doping can help.

 

[Sylvia]

More machine translated quotes from RIA Novosti today re. Zhou's statement yesterday:

Katarina Gerboldt:
"I think let him provide some facts, then we will discuss it, but we can say whatever we want. We can also speak out in favor of the American side. I believe that he should be held accountable. Apparently, people cannot bear the fact that "They still talk about Russian athletes and to this day they believe that in competitions held without Russian athletes, these people cannot be considered champions. Everyone understands that Russian figure skaters are the best," said Herboldt.

The Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) will examine statements by American figure skater Vincent Zhou about allegedly numerous anti-doping violations committed by Russian athletes. [...]
“RUSADA calls on all persons who have any information about illegal actions of athletes to immediately report this to the organization or the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). For its part, RUSADA will carefully study the statements of the American athlete about “numerous violations” among Russian figure skaters and will conduct additional investigation if necessary,” the RUSADA press service responded to RIA Novosti.

Headline: RUSADA accused the American figure skater of violating anti-doping rules []
“Concealing from the anti-doping organization the fact of violations of anti-doping rules by other athletes or those around them is an independent violation of the rules. Persons who have knowledge about the use of prohibited substances and do not promptly report this to the anti-doping organizations are themselves thereby participating in an anti-doping rule violation (that is, complicity Loud statements to the press, unsupported by any evidence, do not contribute to the effective establishment of facts and punishment of the perpetrators,” the RUSADA press service told RIA Novosti.

"The IOC shares the disappointment of the athletes. We want the results of the competition to be final during the Games so that the athletes can enjoy the moment during the Olympics. Therefore, the IOC is also very upset about the current situation. But the IOC is not above the law and must respect it and the rights of every person, "as well as relevant court decisions. From the very beginning, the IOC has insisted on a speedy decision and hopes that the decision will quickly follow the CAS hearing. And then the IOC will implement it," the IOC press service said.

Sports commentator Dmitry Guberniev:
"He showed everyone that he is a complete fool. If you accuse someone, show evidence. For example, I will now say that there is a lot of doping in American figure skating. It is his word against my word, and all these words mean nothing. Just one fool blurted out something,” Guberniev said.

 

[Sylvia]

Associated Press article by Graham Dunbar (Sept. 26):

Olympic doping case involving Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva starts in Switzerland

The doping case involving teenage Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva that marred the 2022 Beijing Olympics has returned to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

apnews.com

Excerpts:

The highest court in sports began a closed-door hearing set to last at least three days. Valieva, who was 15 at the Olympics and is now 17, was expected to testify by video link from Russia in a case that was slow-walked in her home country and could now deliver a verdict by the end of the year.

The first Russian anti-doping tribunal to judge the case during the Olympics in February 2022 said Valieva and her legal team “intend to conduct further investigation and present the results” at future hearings in the case.
The future hearing has now started, opening more than 19 months after an initial CAS panel let Valieva continue skating in Beijing despite a failed doping test on her record.
Valieva’s lawyers did not speak to reporters when they arrived at court on Tuesday.

WADA has asked the three CAS judges to ban Valieva for four years — until December 2025 — and disqualify her from the Olympics.
“We want a just outcome of the case, based on the facts,” WADA spokesman James Fitzgerald said, adding the Montreal-based agency will “continue to push for this matter to be concluded without further undue delay.”
The ISU wants a ban of at least two years and disqualification. The Russian anti-doping agency also joined the appeal and suggested a reprimand would do.
Valieva’s legal team will argue that CAS has no jurisdiction, the court has said, and alternatively that she was not at fault so a reprimand is enough.

“We share their frustrations in how this case has dragged on,” Fitzgerald said about the skaters’ long wait to get any medals.

 

[SkateFanBerlin]

The Russians sound pretty pissed off. I hope someone has told Vincent not to stand in front of any upper-floor windows.

 

[Plisskin]

Hilarious. Usually when someone says something they don't like, they go after their medal credentials and say their a nobody. Since they can't with Vincent now their talking about lawsuits. Where was that same energy when Russians accused Simone Biles of being on PED?? Such hypocrites which is why noone believes them or takes them seriously.

 

[Karen-W]

The Russians sound pretty pissed off. I hope someone has told Vincent not to stand in front of any upper-floor windows.

Last time I checked, Vincent has a couple of Worlds bronze medals, which is more than any Russian man who has competed internationally in the last decade.

 

[kwanfan1818]

And more difficult jumps, when, even after the calls and downgrades, he still has higher content than any Russian skater except, perhaps, Trusova.

 

[On My Own]

"I think let him provide some facts, then we will discuss it, but we can say whatever we want. We can also speak out in favor of the American side. I believe that he should be held accountable. Apparently, people cannot bear the fact that "They still talk about Russian athletes and to this day they believe that in competitions held without Russian athletes, these people cannot be considered champions. Everyone understands that Russian figure skaters are the best," said Herboldt.

Really? Did anyone think Russian men were "the best"? All I remember from the past several seasons is a flurry of obnoxious stanning for two equally boring men from Japan and the USA.

 

[On My Own]

And more difficult jumps, when, even after the calls and downgrades, he still has higher content than any Russian skater except, perhaps, Trusova.

But what about Malinin

Pretty sure that one random Russian boy who made it to the Olympics after Kolyada withdrew had four quads in the free skate he could rotate, but yeah, he's all they got I guess.

 

[BittyBug]

Y'all are obviously forgetting about Weed Jesus.

 

[On My Own]

I can't even spell Weed Jesus' name.

If the list goes Kolyada, Random Russian Boy Who Made It to The Olympics After Kolyada Withdrew, Weed Jesus, and Third Guy At The Olympics, then we can all agree that the Russian men weren't "the best".

 

[Habs]

Y'all are obviously forgetting about Weed Jesus.

And to think, when this whole thing started back during the Olympics, we were all ready to blame Weed Jesus. So charming and naïve of us.

 

[Rukia]

And to think, when this whole thing started back during the Olympics, we were all ready to blame Weed Jesus. So charming and naïve of us.

listen weed jesus was a magical time on this board and we will never get those moments back

 

[Karen-W]

listen weed jesus was a magical time on this board and we will never get those moments back

Those 6-10 hours where we thought it was Weed Jesus were an amazing gift thanks to the Russian media. Really, we should send them flowers even though we'll never "quit" them and their ridiculous British tabloid style level of journalistic standards and reporting on our sport.

 

[Karen-W]

Seems only appropriate that this thread hit 100 pages on the day the hearing finally started.

Christine Brennan did indeed show up in Lausanne this week.

Why is Russian skater's hearing over her Olympic doping shrouded in secrecy?

One of the most anticipated doping hearings in history of the Olympics will begin Tuesday not with a worldwide audience but with no audience at all.

t.co

And her tweets from the press work room - https://twitter.com/cbrennansports/status/1706609335986442689?t=jNW0VrpgyhofaAG2viHgww&s=19

 

[On My Own]

Is there really no other USA reporter who could have gone, good god

 

[Karen-W]

And, just so we have an idea of what sort of timeline we are likely looking at...

https://twitter.com/OlympicStatman/status/1706357874169934050?t=QEcFMDtUudfJffUs82UqfA&s=19

I would be surprised if there is a decision issued before the deadline for Euros entries has passed.

 

[Vagabond]

Those Russians who speak of lawsuits show their ignorance of the concept of freedom of speech, which prevents litigating claims of the kind at issue here and the enforcement of any judgment obtained in Russia not only in the United States but in most anywhere that Vincent Zhou would have any assets.

I guess she learned something from living in the US.

I know you were joking, but the fact that would say something like this indicates how little she learned from living in the United States for so many years. Her remarks are an example of parochialism at its worst.

 

[On My Own]

And, just so we have an idea of what sort of timeline we are likely looking at...

https://twitter.com/OlympicStatman/status/1706357874169934050?t=QEcFMDtUudfJffUs82UqfA&s=19

I would be surprised if there is a decision issued before the deadline for Euros entries has passed.

I think you don't need to be scared before the end of the season anyway lol... Russians coming back might only be on the cards next season and beyond, and that's also assuming that the remaining big feds won't get pissed off over this and push against Russian participation in that particular upcoming meeting.

 

[Frau Muller]

Is there really no other USA reporter who could have gone, good god

Christine Brennan in the mix! The one whose voice was on Valieva’s free program last year.

 

[On My Own]

I guess Daniil's got his next program idea ready already.

 

[Karen-W]

InsideTheGames article (the team that actually broke the story, not Christine Brennan, despite her tweets to the contrary, lol)

Valieva CAS appeal begins with Russia claiming she will not receive fair hearing (insidethegames.biz)

And already, the ROC is preparing the public for the likely outcome and, once again, undermining the validity of any international court or tribunal.

A three-man Panel at CAS, chaired by British-based barrister James Drake, began hearing Valieva’s case in the Swiss city but Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) President Stanislav Pozdnyakov has already declared that he believes the odds are stacked against the teenager, who was only 15 at the time of the positive test and therefore a "protected person", of being cleared.

"The sports justice system is undergoing negative changes," Pozdnyakov told Russia’s official state news agency TASS.

"From my point of view, one can count less and less on the fairness of CAS."

 

[Mafke]

ROC is preparing the public

russians whining and acting like victims.... what a surprise

 

[Spikefan]

Is there really no other USA reporter who could have gone, good god

She was meant for this. Dogged, snoopy, doesn’t care about offending anyone.