2022 Olympics: Russia insists team skating medals aren’t ‘subject to revision’ amid Kamila Valieva doping case

Russia is insisting the results of the Olympics’ team figure skating competition are final, no matter what happens in the doping investigation into Kamila Valieva. 

Stanislav Pozdnyakov, president of the Russian Olympic Committee, on Thursday said Russia “strongly” disagrees with the International Olympic Committee’s statement that the results of the team tournament and women’s singles competition at the Beijing Olympics are “preliminary” because Valieva’s doping case isn’t resolved. Instead, he said Russia is insisting the medals can’t be redistributed, The New York Times reports

“The Russian Olympic Committee has already sent a letter to the [International Skating Union], in which it stated in detail and reasonably the position that the results of the team tournament are not subject to revision under any circumstances, regardless of the outcome of the disciplinary investigation against the athlete,” Pozdnyakov said. 

The Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled Valieva could continue competing despite a positive drug test before the Olympics, the results from which were returned on Feb. 8. But the International Olympic Committee subsequently said there would be no medal ceremonies for the events Valieva was involved in until her doping case is resolved. “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,” the IOC said. Russia won gold during the team competion. 

On Thursday, Valieva was set to participate in the women’s free skate event. An IOC spokesperson said “there will be an asterisk against the results, because they will be preliminary obviously pending the investigation,” per The Associated Press

Pozdnyakov, though, says Russia is prepared to defend its position that the team results can’t be revised “consistently in any possible proceedings, including in the [Court of Arbitration for Sport], if required.” 

Russia is insisting the results of the Olympics’ team figure skating competition are final, no matter what happens in the doping investigation into Kamila Valieva.  Stanislav Pozdnyakov, president of the Russian Olympic Committee, on Thursday said Russia “strongly” disagrees with the International Olympic Committee’s statement that the results of the team tournament and women’s singles…

Russia is insisting the results of the Olympics’ team figure skating competition are final, no matter what happens in the doping investigation into Kamila Valieva.  Stanislav Pozdnyakov, president of the Russian Olympic Committee, on Thursday said Russia “strongly” disagrees with the International Olympic Committee’s statement that the results of the team tournament and women’s singles…