A Preceding Reputation: Russian Figure Skater In The Olympic Games

Russia’s 15-year-old figure skater Kamila Valieva entered the 2022 Beijing Olympics after dominating in the European Championships, but tested positive for Trimetazidine, a banned heart medication. This prompted the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) to suspended Valieva the next day. The Court of Arbitration of Sport (CAS) officially allowed Valieva’s continued participation in the Olympics on February 14th after fielding complaints from the International Olympic Committee (IOC), World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and International Skating Union (ISU). Valieva took to the ice in Beijing half an hour after the CAS ruling, executing a flawless practice run of the short program to be performed at the single events that occurred last week.

CAS cited the fact that Valieva was a “protected person” under WADA rules as one of the “exceptional circumstances” underpinning its decision. Valieva’s status as minor under the world anti-doping code gave her an advantage, as the standard of proof for a protected person is lower than for an adult making the same claim about testing positive. Preventing Valieva from competing at the Olympics would have caused the teenager irreparable harm, CAS said in its ruling.

The ruling evoked mixed reactions from the public. Russian ice dancer Nikita Katsalapov sang her praise in “Let’s go Kamila!” after learning about the decision, compared to CEO of the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee Sarah Hirshland stating that “this appears to be another chapter in the systematic and pervasive disregard for clean sport by Russia.” WADA said it was disappointed with the ruling, which was not in accordance with its own code. President Witold Banka told Reuters “the doping of children is evil and unforgivable” and saying “to clean athletes is that we will do everything to investigate this case properly.” Olympian turned figure-skating analyst Johnny Weir said he condemned the decision to allow Valieva to remain in the Olympics “with every ounce of his soul,” tweeting it was “devastating for my sport.”

The figure skater is one of the youngest athletes to face a doping charge during an Olympics, prompting global outrage at the role of the adults around her and the continuing scourge of Russian doping in international sports. Valieva’s failure to medal allowed for a podium celebration, as one wouldn’t have taken place if she finished within the top-three because of her doping scandal.

Valieva tested positive for the banned medication Trimetazidine on December 25th at the Russian National Championships. But the result was not revealed until February 8th after competing in the team event at the Winter Games, with CAS emphasizing the “serious issues of untimely notification of the results” in its decision. “Such late notification was not her fault,” the ruling said. “According to information received by WADA, the sample in this case was not flagged by RUSADA as being a priority sample when it was received by the anti-doping laboratory.”

Despite her chaotic time in Beijing, Valieva received a ovation from fans upon her return to Russia. Her fellow Russian Olympians have her back as well, as speed skater Konstantin Ivliev told the AP “the whole plane supported her” and “spoke kind words to her because the situation is very hard.”

Valieva should not be unfairly judged, as she is a minor and limited information is published due to her minor status. This situation is very nuanced but has caused strong opinions to be formed from the Olympic and international community. Some responses are rooted in predispositions and stereotyping of Russia, rather than the issue at hand or merit of Valieva. Russia largely acknowledges their hardships and has voiced their support, while the rest of the world is questioning the legitimacy of the claims and extrapolating her case with conceived notions about Russia. Instead of blindly confirming our own bias, we must consider all relevant facts and whether opinions of outside matters are pertinent to this case.

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