Finally. More than seven hundred days after the Beijing 2022 Winter Games, the endless soap opera of Russian skater Kamila Valieva has just ended. The last episode took place in Lausanne, in the cozy setting of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
The court announced via a press release on Monday January 29 that it had found the young Russian guilty of an anti-doping rule violation. She is suspended for a period of four years.
All his results since December 25, 2021, the date of his positive test at the Russian figure skating championships, have been removed from the charts. At the top of the page, the gold medal won by Russia on February 7, 2022, in the team event at the Beijing Winter Games.
So much for the facts. They are crystal clear. Seized by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), the International Skating Union (ISU) and the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA), the CAS leaned on the side of the authorities. Its panel of judges sent Kamila Valieva away from the ice rinks for four years, a harsh sanction for a first offense, and for a young girl who was only 15 years old at the time of the events.
The reactions now. Satisfaction in the West, notably in the camp of the complainants and that of the “victims”, the skaters still waiting for their Olympic medal. Anger in Moscow. Nothing very unexpected.
WADA released its press release as soon as the sanction was announced, where it explains “ congratulate oneself » of the verdict rendered by the CAS. Its president, the Pole Witold Banka, is more offensive in his comment. “ Anyone who drugs children should be imprisoned, he suggests. We encourage governments to consider criminalizing the supply of performance-enhancing drugs to minors. »
Same story on the ISU side. In a press release, the skating body explains “ congratulate oneself », also, of the CAS decision. She announces the publication this Tuesday, January 30 of a more complete declaration on “ the implications of the CAS decision. »
In the United States, the Olympic and Paralympic Committee welcomed the sanction imposed on the young skater, synonymous with a new podium for the Olympic team event at the 2022 Beijing Games, where Russia beat the American selection.
« Today is a day we have been looking forward to for two years, as it is an important victory not only for Team USA athletes, but also for athletes around the world who practice fair play and advocate for clean sport, said Sarah Hirshland, the director general of the USOPC. We now await the day when we can wholeheartedly celebrate these athletes, as well as their peers around the world. »
In the opposite camp, Moscow did not hold back its criticism. The Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) published a long press release, where it assured that the “ war is declared against Russian sport. » The authority continues: “ Unfortunately, the CAS decision is negative, but we cannot count on the impartiality and objectivity of this international structure, we know this from the example of the cases in which the ROC is a party. »
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitri Peskov added a layer to the ROC's accusations, assuring that the decision rendered on Monday January 29 was motivated by " purely political considerations. »
The following ? For Kamila Valieva, now 17 years old, the four-year suspension does not necessarily mean the end of her sporting career. It will be lifted at the end of 2025. In time, therefore, for it to consider participation in the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Games.
For the other skaters unwillingly involved in the Valieva affair, namely Russia's rivals in the team figure skating event, the ball is now in the IOC's court. The body will have to formalize the result of the competition, where Russia was ahead of the United States, Japan and Canada. The Americans will receive gold, the Japanese silver and the Canadians bronze.
Barring an unlikely scenario, the final decision will be taken by the IOC Executive Board next March. More than two years after the Beijing Games.
