ZHANGJIAKOU, China (AP) — Arbitrators have rejected a last-ditch request by American figure skaters to have their silver medals awarded before the end of the Olympics.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport said early Sunday in Beijing that it dismissed the appeal by the nine skaters, who finished second in the team event that was marred by a doping positive by Russia’s 15-year-old Kamila Valieva.
In an earlier decision, CAS had allowed Valieva to compete in the women’s event after her doping positive went public. The International Olympic Committee responded by saying that no medals would be awarded in any event where she finished in the top three.
The medal ceremony has been delayed because of the controversy surrounding Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva, who helped Russia win gold in the team event. She failed a pre-Olympics drug test, but the result wasn’t revealed until after the team competition.
Canada finished fourth in the event — after which word broke that Valieva had tested positive for a banned heart medication during a test in December.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled the 15-year-old Valieva could still compete in the women’s event after the test results came out — saying it could cause “irreparable harm” if she was not allowed to skate.
Valieva, the heavy favourite, had a disastrous free skate and finished fourth.
IOC president Thomas Bach criticized Valieva’s entourage for their “tremendous coldness” toward the skater after her mistake-filled free skate at the Beijing.
Bach said it was “chilling” to see on television.
The IOC president did not name Valieva’s coach, Eteri Tutberidze, who was seen on camera telling a visibly upset Valieva “Why did you let it go? Why did you stop fighting?”
Tutberidze and other members of Valieva’s entourage will be investigated.
Bach says the pressure on Valieva was “beyond my imagination.”
Dmitry Chernyshenko, Russia’s deputy prime minister, told insidethegames that Bach’s comments were “inappropriate and wrong.”
“We are deeply disappointed to see an IOC president weave his own fictional narrative on the feelings of our athletes, and then present these publicly as the voice of the IOC,” he said.
U.S. lose appeal to get team figure skating medals before Olympics end
Source: Pinas Ko Mahal
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