Every time I catch a glimpse of Tutberidze, after helping the team of the Russian Olympic Committee win the team competition in Beijing, the banned heart drug trimetazidine was discovered in Valieva's system, which lasted for several months. It seemed to remind me of the confusion I had. In the months that followed, Russia's anti-doping agency slowly investigated her case, but concluded that although she had committed the violation, it was no fault of hers and that she would therefore be stripped of her medals. I decided it wasn't worth it.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport heard Valieva's case and in January upheld the World Anti-Doping Agency's four-year ban on her from just before the Beijing Olympics, nullifying Russia's gold medal and the IOC It appears that the Russian athlete has been promised a gold medal. American skaters took second place.
More than anything, the look on Valieva's coach's face symbolizes the fact that, 25 months after the Beijing Games, no medals have been awarded in the team event, and there is little clarity on when they will be awarded. Ta.
After the CAS ruling in January, the International Skating Union recalculated the results of the Beijing Games, giving the United States the gold medal, Japan the silver medal, and Russia defeating fourth-place Canada to win the bronze medal, but this was based on its own rules. It seems that there is a conflict. Currently, everyone in the skating community is frustrated and confused after Team Canada, Team Russia, the Russian Olympic Committee, and the Russian Skating Federation filed individual complaints with CAS.
The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee and U.S. figure skating officials are planning a ceremony to award gold medals to team members at this summer's Paris Olympics. But with the appeal pending, we don't know if that will be possible.
Even ice dancers Madison Chock and Evan Bates, the only Americans competing in Beijing's team event, seem discouraged by the endless delays. Just a few weeks ago, Chock and Bates, who are set to marry in June, spoke excitedly about winning medals in Paris on a USOPC conference call. On Friday, after winning the rhythm dance division of the world championships, they stood in the lower hall of the Bell Center and shook their heads when asked if they would get their wedding rings before winning an Olympic medal.
“The ring will probably be first,” Chock said with a sigh.
ISU President Jae-yul Kim said little on the topic during Friday morning's first press conference since the CAS ruling against Valieva. He called the turn of events “unfortunate” and expressed “sympathy for the frustration the athletes must be going through” as they waited for their medals, but said CAS has caused his organization to be forced into Beijing. He said he would not discuss the process he used to recalculate the results. I will appeal.
He acknowledged that Valieva had dozens of substances in her body when she submitted a contaminated sample on December 25, 2021, calling it “sportsmanship.” . [and] It is a matter of “safety protection” and the ISU “hopes to continue to provide education.” [skaters’] “Whoever is in his inner circle or around the national federations,” he said, but this week dodged questions about Tutberidze's presence.
Reporters kept asking questions about Russia for several minutes until Kim stopped mid-answer and desperately tried to change the subject. “I want to celebrate the beautiful and amazing skaters,” he said, and without a word, he talked about 40-year-old Diana Stellato-Dudek, who won Thursday night's pairs competition with his pairs partner Maxmeim Deschamps. started.
Eventually, another reporter raised his hand. She is from Ukraine, and she said she wondered if Kim thought the ISU was doing enough to support Ukrainian athletes.
And even without Russia at the World Skating Championships, it was clear that the topic of Russia still remained above everything.
