US figure skaters clinch Olympic gold amid Valieva’s doping disqualification
Doping scandal resolution leads to gold medal win for U.S. figure skaters at Beijing Winter Olympics
The U.S. figure skating team has been awarded Olympic gold medals for the 2022 Beijing Winter Games team event following the disqualification of Russian skater Kamila Valieva due to a doping violation.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) imposed a four-year ban on Valieva, with the penalty backdated to Dec. 25, 2021, the date of the positive drug test. Valieva was 15 years old when she tested positive for the banned heart medication trimetazidine.
The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) confirmed the news after receiving official communication from the International Olympic Committee (IOC). The IOC expressed sympathy for the athletes affected by the lengthy delay in resolving the matter and announced plans to organize a dignified medal ceremony.
The re-ranking of the team event results has elevated the U.S. team to first place, with Japan moving to second. Despite Valieva’s disqualification, Russia might still retain the third position, ahead of Canada, based on a recalculated scoring.
The U.S. team, comprising Evan Bates, Karen Chen, Nathan Chen, Madison Chock, Zachary Donohue, Brandon Frazier, Madison Hubbell, Alexa Knierim, and Vincent Zhou, has eagerly awaited this outcome. Bates voiced his relief, saying, “two years is too long for this decision to be made, and we may never know why it has taken this long.”
Meanwhile, Russian officials have criticized the decision, with Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov labeling it as politicized. Valieva, who turns 18 in April, has continued to participate in national events but is now barred from international competitions until December 2025.
Source: AP
