Kamila Valieva, a Russian figure skater, has been handed a 4-year suspension. As a result, her team's Olympic gold medal may potentially be awarded to Team USA.

Kamila Valieva, a Russian figure skater, has been handed a 4-year suspension. As a result, her team’s Olympic gold medal may potentially be awarded to Team USA.

January 29, 2024 Benjamin Hughes

The Court of Arbitration for Sport announced on Monday that Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva has been suspended from the sport until 2025 for violating anti-doping rules. This means that Valieva, who won a gold medal with the Russian Olympic Committee in the team event at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, will have any awards earned since late 2021 revoked.

Valieva

The individual’s drug test came back positive for a prohibited substance., trimetazidine, but the court

She was allowed to continue competing.

During the Beijing Games, there was an ongoing investigation that was estimated to last for several months.

The court made the decision to allow Valieva, who was 15 at the time, to compete due to her status as a minor and the different regulations that apply to young athletes compared to adults.

They completed the race first, but they did not receive a gold medal on the podium.

Russia's Kamila Valieva reacts after competing in a women's figure skating event during the Winter Olympic Games at the Capital Indoor Stadium in Beijing on Feb. 17, 2022. — In Beijing on Feb. 17, 2022, Kamila Valieva from Russia showed her response following her participation in a women’s figure skating competition at the Winter Olympics held at the Capital Indoor Stadium.

The picture is credited to Anne-Christine Poujoulat, from AFP via Getty Images.

According to CBS Sports, the U.S. won a silver medal in the event while Japan earned bronze. It is possible that the gold medal will now be awarded to Team USA, almost two years after the competition took place.

The U.S. Olympics and Paralympics Committee released a statement expressing their satisfaction with the news of Valieva’s suspension, stating that they had been anticipating this decision for two years.

The group praised the members of Team USA, including Evan Bates, Karen Chen, Nathan Chen, Madison Chock, Zachary Donohue, Brandon Frazier, Madison Hubbell, Alexa Knierim, and Vincent Zhou. They stated that their performances in Beijing will always represent their dedication to fair competition.

The committee stated that they look forward to the day when they can joyfully honor these athletes, along with others from various countries. They believe that their time is coming and when it does, it will showcase the fairness and acknowledgement they rightfully deserve.

The court imposed a suspension of four years on Valieva, starting in December 2021, which coincides with the date of her drug test. Valieva asserted that the medication belonged to her grandfather and she mistakenly consumed it due to a mix-up.

However, the court declared on Monday that following an inquiry, Valieva was unable to provide evidence that she did not knowingly consume the medication.

Valieva will be disqualified from all competitions starting from December 25, 2021, as a result of the four-year ban. She will also lose any titles, awards, medals, profits, prizes, and appearance money she may have received during this time.

Caitlin O’Kane

Caitlin O’Kane is a senior manager at CBS News in New York City, where she works on the social media team and oversees content and production. She covers a wide range of subjects and is the producer of “The Uplift,” a streaming program from CBS News that highlights positive news stories.

Source: cbsnews.com