Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva was disqualified from the 2022 Olympics on Monday, almost two years after her doping case caused turmoil at the Beijing Games.
The verdict from the Court of Arbitration for Sport means the Russians are set to be stripped of the gold medal in figure skating’s team event. The United States finished second and is set to be named Olympic champion instead.
The International Olympic Committee decided not to present any medals for the event in Beijing, where the 15-year-old Valieva was the star performer hours before her positive test for a banned heart medicine was revealed.
CAS said it upheld appeals led by the World Anti-Doping Agency, which asked the court to disqualify Valieva from the Olympics and ban her. A Russian sports tribunal had cleared her of any blame.
I feel really bad for this girl. Disqualifying her was the right move, but I highly doubt a fifteen-year-old representing Russia in the Olympics was given much choice as to whether she wanted to use performance enhancers or not. On top of that, she got four year ban from professional skating, which basically robbed her of her peak professional years. Her career was basically destroyed by something that was, best case senerio, a mistake she made at fifteen or, wost (and more likely) case, something that was forced on her by her trainers/managers.
Imagine winning the gold medal two years after you lost it. Imagine trying to explain the celebration party to people and them not caring or believing you.
I imagine that does undercut the excitement on some level.
Like, it’s an amazing achievement nonetheless, but like… the wind’s already gone. Sail’s empty.
A Russian caught doping? At the Olympics??
They really need to step up their game, everyone else knows how not to get caught.
That took a long fucking time. Opposed to the US sprinter who tested positive for a for non-performance enhancing drug (weed) and was giving a suspension just 9 days after initial test results. Keeping her from even going to her games.
This girl had tested positive for performance enhancing drugs and was still allowed to compete. So they could take the next two years to get their shit together. Look I know she was 15 and probably had no choice on where to take them, but that doesn’t justify the wildly different responses.
Spelling
Hmm.
One has slightly higher melanin than the other. Surely, that couldn’t contribute to the difference in results there.
I’m pretty sure it has more to do with the Fact that Russia is known to bribe and Sports Organizations are known to get bribed.
Well weed is not allowed so it should be treated in the same way
But it wasn’t. Sha’Carri Richardson had her suspension handed to her much much faster. Additional Valieva took away the other competitors chance to stand in metal ceremony positions they deserved. That is something that can never be given back.
it should be treated in the same way
So they should have been allowed to compete and then take 2 years to figure it out?
Man I feel bad for her. She was only 15 and probably didn’t have much of a say in the matter. It’s the right call, but still, I do feel for her.
Imagine if she coulda won without potentially risking her health with drugs, too.
She probably had no choice in the matter and trusted her coach and medical team to do the right thing.
Kids in the Olympics is a double edged sword.
Indeed. Shoulda said something like:
Right. Imagine too if she could’ve won even without the drugs she was supplied (by those who may have paid little mind to their potential long-term health impacts on her).
This reminds me of when Trump called a race horse a junkie after winning the Kentucky Derby and being disqualified for a failed drug test. As if the horse was tying off and shooting up in the stable outhouse.
While this child has more agency than a horse, it’s not like she had a choice in the matter.
Is it right for her for be DQ’d? Yes, but she’s still a victim.
Don’t lose sight of the fact that she’s was a child made to take drugs by her own government.
This reminds me of when Trump called a race horse a junkie after winning the Kentucky Derby and being disqualified for a failed drug test.
Wait…
Trump literally compared himself to a racehorse yesterday to show how he has good genes (because his uncle was an MIT professor and apparently the brother of a winning racehorse is just as good as a winning racehorse).
So now even our Kentucky Derby winner, Medina Spirit, is a junky. This is emblematic of what is happening to our Country. The whole world is laughing at us as we go to hell on our Borders, our fake Presidential Election, and everywhere else!
https://web.archive.org/web/20210509170756/https://www.donaldjtrump.com/desk/desk-8pttbep59x/
As if the horse was tying off and shooting up in the stable outhouse.
This episode of BoJack just got real dark.
It’s definitely for the best so a coach doesn’t do it to another minor.
i will never understand why anyone lets russia compete in anything. they just always lie and cheat.
I mean the US and many other athletes have been caught before cheating this isn’t new. Canada the US, Sweden and, Spain just to name a few.
The issue wasn’t athletes cheating individually. The issue was that Russia had a state sponsored doping program from top to bottom. That is significantly different than one off athletes, or one off coaches.
This is not just some random athletes doing it on their own here and there. There was (still is? Who knows) a Russian government run program to allow for doping and help their athletes evade monitoring from anti doping authorities. Likely at least 580 postive tests across 30 different sports covered up. Team USA doesn’t even get government funding, let alone a government run doping conspiracy.
https://www.bbc.com/sport/36823453
Saying Team USA doesn’t get government funding is inaccurate.
It’s not a holistic nationalized system like many other countries have, but that doesn’t mean Team USA athletes and athletic programs aren’t direct recipients of government financial support.
For example:
Team USA athletes have access to some of the best training facilities and coaching teams in the world, many of which get direct, or indirect government funding e.g. grants, subsidies, tax incentives, etc.
On a side note, that’s a great graphic. I was going to mention the hole in the wall in my other comment, but I was too lazy to go grab a source. Kudos.
You’re right, there are indirect ways they get support. They are not directly funded like in many countries though. That’s not to say they don’t have considerable resources.
https://2021impactreport.teamusa.org/financials-reports-and-disclosures/financials.html#gsc.tab=0
Financial disclosures are even available online.
I was just pointing out other Olympic teams didn’t have the very centralized system of state run organization and funding like Russia had that would allow something like what Russia did to even be possible.
wasn’t the big deal with the Russians that it was at the level of the entire organization rather than done by limited specific individuals?
Why is racism upvoted
Isn’t it more racist to act as if being Russian is a singular racial demographic?
Russia is an empire, a decaying one, but still, it’s full of a wide variety of different racial groups that aren’t Slavic in origin.
Also, when people criticize the actions of the American government, should we all accuse them of being racist towards… Americans?
It’s not.
Russians and doping, name a more iconic duo.
Russians and killing political opponents
Russians and faulty windows.
Russians and a lack of ethical morality.
Just another dirty Russian cheater, second only to china’s culture of cheating/theft.
This poor girl was undoubtedly forced into taking the meds, ruining her future.
Why on earth would they try doping? They know that people are tested, I don’t get how they think that’s going to work. They either need to stop cheating, or they need to get much better at it.
Almost guaranteed that it was state sponsored
Yeah but same question. It being sponsored doesn’t really make it any less stupid.
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More like, state forced I should say. There are a ton of records that show that the state forced its athletes to dope in order to win.
If you play any game with ruskies you learn this: ruskies always cheating, stealing, scamming.
Should have happened during the Olympics, but the IOC gave the Russians the win.
Yeah, like you don’t get that moment back, standing on the podium while your national anthem plays.
The amount of anti-Russia comments on account of a known issue in competitive sports is disturbing. Does everything nowadays have to be about either “Russia bad” or “China bad”? Can’t it be about how exceptionally talented young people are pressured into doping because of ever increasing and often impossible to reach performance standards? I feel we have collectively lost a sense of measure in our response and have replaced a global outlook seeing global solutions to global problems with a nationalistic and sectarian us vs them attitude. And shudder to think that inside those countries it is exactly the same in reverse, possibly worse even.
Boycott these worthless games.
I strongly disagree. The Olympics are one of the best things humanity does. Are the people running it corrupt scum? Pretty much. But the Olympics are one of the only times the whole world comes together to at least attempt to do something positive.
Also, have you ever watched the 49 kg (108 lb) women’s weightlifting competition? They look like ants lifting multiple times their body weight. It’s fucking awesome.
I’d rather not reward the IOC with my patronage and eyeballs viewing the blatant consumerism and capitalistic nature of what should be a wonderful event. The IOC takes home billions and the athletes get nothing.
Sorry, I vote with my wallet and my principles.
I don’t think either of you is wrong. One of you is talking about the concept of the Olympics and the other the IOC.
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Fuck the Olympics, but this is hilarious
Fuck Russia, this is not hilarious
What are you, mad on behalf of the IOC? Is that what this is, you’re white knighting an organisation that bankrupts cities?
Shitty humans are bankrupting cities mate. IOC, Russia, all the same IMO. But, Here, in this post, the issue is Russia (well, more precisely, their leaders). Hence the: FUCK RUSSIA!!!
all the same
There it is
She did not inhale!
