Jul 27, 2024 11:28 UTC
| Updated:
Aug 24, 2024 at 15:45 UTC
Two Years Later: US Skating Team Awarded Gold Medal after Valieva Doping Scandal
After a two-and-a-half-year ordeal, the U.S. skating team has been formally recognized as the gold medalists of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics after the C.A.S. ruling. The controversy erupted when a Russian skater, Kamila Valieva, tested positive for ingesting a banned substance (trimetazidine).
The Russian Anti-Doping Tribunal cleared her of doping charges, accepting her claim that she accidentally ingested the banned substance. Meanwhile, the C.A.S. and the World Anti-Doping Agency found Valieva guilty of violating the doping regulations and suspended Valieva for four years from December 2021.
On Thursday, a three-judge bench of C.A.S. dismissed Russia’s appeal to reinstate them as gold medalists. The Court of Arbitration for Sport dismissed Valieva’s claim that she unknowingly consumed a banned substance through a strawberry dessert prepared by her grandfather. Russia lost the Olympic title in January due to figure skater Kamila Valieva’s disqualification and subsequent four-year ban for a doping violation.
Sarah Hirshland, Chief Executive Officer of the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee, exclaimed her joy. “We are thrilled to finally honor these incredible athletes,” Over two years have passed since the U.S. figure skating team left the Beijing Winter Olympics without a medal. They finished second in the team event behind Russia, which included teenage sensation Kamila Valieva.
Pursuant to the court’s decision, the International Olympic Committee has organized special medal ceremonies in the second week of the Paris Olympics to honor the U.S. skaters with gold medals. Consequently, the International Skating Union has reevaluated the result, which has moved Japan to the second spot and Russia to the third spot (excluding Valieva’s score). This has triggered an appeal from the Canada contingent (who finished in the fourth spot) to the C.A.S.
On swearing medals to the athletes in the Paris Olympics, the Olympic body stated, “We are glad that this opportunity can be offered to the athletes and teams who, unfortunately, had to wait for a very long time for their medals due to the ongoing legal case,”
On the other hand, the World Skating Body has expressed gratitude for the athlete’s patience and resilience during such legal pendency.
