Kamila Valieva: Anti-doping Case and Follow-ups

[norwegianfairytale]

I don't watch Russian TV 24/7. I read Pozdnyakov who said clearly that the question is not to the lab but to those whom it took 25 days to deliver the sample to the lab. I don't know what are lab's obligation for priority samples. PCR tests in Russia is either 3 days regular or 1 day priority. So if it were priority sample lab could have had not 20 but 2 days. Then the question would be why it took 43 days to reach the lab?

But even without putting priority on the sample we revert to the question why it took 25 days to move the sample? And sorry, your idea that Russia knew that it was negative and deliberately delayed it contradicts very basic logic. As I explained and I am surprised that I had to explain this Russia would have wanted to know as fast as possible to replace Kamila before the games rather than to have a big time scandal after big time celebrations. Isn't it obvious?

Well TASS claimed that the lab took too long, and that the Euros samples was analyzed before, and that was criticizable. Now we know the Euros samples was analyzed because the other samples arrived later and wasn´t marked with priority. So it wasn´t the lab fault as they first claimed. So they try to put the blame om someone else without having the facts.

 

[Alchamei]

Also, last comment from me as I need to go to sleep to function at work tomorrow. But, after taking the stance of supporting the lab, there is also a bit of a reason to doubt them, as well. This puts me back to 50/50, so I’m going to have another restless night again.

What a coincidence that the sample was received on the 19th and they fulfilled their obligation exactly on the 20th day? If samples were actually received on the 18th and post dated, one day is the difference between meeting the 20 day obligation or not. Also, with them using Covid as an excuse for why they took so long due to staff shortage, I don’t think it is unreasonable to doubt if the samples were received on the 19 or not. I guess I now fully understand the Russians comment in regards to did someone walk to lab from RUS to SWE? It only hit me now that it took 25 days for the sample to arrive to the lab and if it didn’t go out by boat, I do find it suspicious that it took so long to get to the lab. Therefore, It is within the realm of possibility that a lab could alter the dates when finding out they were outside the 20 day window in order to have their results accepted as valid. But, there is a case of reasonable doubt, as I’m now back to questioning the lab as 50/50 again. I’m back to feeling dizzy about this whole situation

But the samples are anonymous - so they couldn't have any way of knowing it's Valieva sample, or any Russian sample for that matter? So the conspiracy the Swedish lab delayed the testing on purpose would be false. Also, if the sample was not marked as a prioroty sample, that would be another argument against it.

 

[Mista Ekko]

Well, if it the case then the question is to WADA - why it took that long?

Indeed, I mean they're actively appealing the lift of the ban,
at the very least they could lift the ban from our frustration
and give an account to what happened during those 3 weeks.

 

[brakes]

It's a sunny day outside, so peaceful.

I have a "better theory": Rusfed internal laboratory analyzed Kamila's urine the same day, discovered trimetazidine, hence didn't prioritize official sample hoping to bribe lab assistants out of doing the proper test. But something went wrong.

I know that some people have lack of sense of humor. So, it was sarcasm.

It's so sad to see you two, of all people, triumphing and gloating over the fact Anya and Sasha are about to take up this unfair and unjust fight in the most important tournament of their lives. It's like you have wiped your shoes on their life-long honest effort and aspirations.

First I lost faith in my favourite coach in figure skating, now in my two favourite people in this forum. Tough time.

 

[Wafflecakes]

New recipe to get away with doping.
1. Use a minor athlete. Emphasis on the word "use".
2. Make sure to mislabel samples sent to be tested so the results come in late.
3. Blame late samples on everyone else and make the argument that their late testing makes them invalid.
4. Get leniency for your athlete so they can compete because of their age.
5. Play the victim and pretend everyone is out to get you.
6. Win gold.
7. Dispose of athlete once you can't delay their puberty anymore through starvation and drugs.

All endorsed by CAS.

 

[gravy]

I am sure this will be part of the investigation. Some people, of course, are fast enough to put the blame on Rusada to intentionally delay the things. And these people don't care that there could be no logic behind that outside the belief that the Russians are both "evil and stupid".

Russia is not allowed to compete at the Olympics because of their state-sponsored doping program. It's not unreasonable that some people would question the details, but it is of course, speculation.

 

[Alex Fedorov]

Если Камила Валиева попадет на пьедестал личного турнира фигуристок в Пекине-2022, церемония награждения не состоится

Исполком Международного олимпийского комитета (МОК) сообщил, что церемония награждения в женском турнире фигуристок не состоится, если россиянка Камила Валиева завоюет медаль.

www.sports.ru

The Executive Committee of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced that the awards ceremony in the women's figure skaters tournament will not take place if Russian Kamila Valieva wins a medal.

Earlier, the IOC canceled the award ceremony of the team tournament due to the situation with Valieva's positive doping test.

the thread is growing fast and I don't see if anyone posted this news.

 

[katmari]

https://olympics.com/ioc/news/ioc-eb-decides-no-medal-ceremonies-following-cas-decision-on-the-case-of-roc-skater

1. In the interest of fairness to all athletes and the NOCs concerned, it would not be appropriate to hold the medal ceremony for the figure skating team event during the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022 as it would include an athlete who on the one hand has a positive A-sample, but whose violation of the anti-doping rules has not yet been established on the other hand.
   
   
2. Should Ms Valieva finish amongst the top three competitors in the Women’s Single Skating competition, no flower ceremony and no medal ceremony will take place during the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022.
   
   
3. The IOC requests the International Skating Union (ISU), for reasons of fairness, to allow a 25th competitor to participate in the free skating part of the competition on 17 February, in case Ms Valieva is ranked in the first 24 of the short programme on 15 February.
   
   
4. The IOC will, in consultation with the athletes and NOCs concerned, organise dignified medal ceremonies once the case of Ms Valieva has been concluded.

 

[Briananing]

Lol for all of those who keep saying the Japanese athletes and fed are "elegant people" for staying all of these doping dramas, Wakaba herself has been liking USOPOC, Johny, and Benoit tweets about this issue. Like no athlete is okay with this alright. They might not talk about, but it doesnt mean they are okay with it.

Btw, the medal ceremony will not taken place of should Kamila secure a medal
-inside the games-

F***, even Yuna has spoken, she barely posted anything unless for promotion and always politically correct.

 

[norwegianfairytale]

So no medal ceremonies for the ladies. So it kinda backfires on TT themselves as they are expected to take the podium by their own...

 

[4everchan]

https://olympics.com/ioc/news/ioc-eb-decides-no-medal-ceremonies-following-cas-decision-on-the-case-of-roc-skater

at least one of my point was dealt with : having an extra skater in the free skate.

the rest : sad for all the athletes who are deprived from their very special olympic moment....
Honest question to ROC supporters : how do you feel about Sasha and Anna being deprived of their olympic moment if they were going to podium? There are always repercussions. I believe the IOC is not happy with the CAS decision, and they found a way to hit hard.

 

[Tomadeur]

Well it would for sure help those athletes competing in senior to know that athletes won´t get away with anything like this because of age. You won´t have such scandals like this at Olympic. The adults involve won´t have the same motive to drug athlete. Olympic medal is more important than Junior Worlds and so on.

Cos raising the age minimum would mean a 15 year old cannot participate in Olympics figure skating or senior World Championship.
Cannot participate, eliminate the problem of having different rules for minors or 'protected person'.

Improve situation for Juniors? Perhaps then the coaches would not push young teens so early so hard with high difficulty jumps/elements so the youngsters can have longer competitive career(less injuries, etc).

To prevent something like this happens again you can of course raise the age minimum to 16, but it' neither an argument to raise the age minimum to 17/18 nor is it the only way to deal with it. You can change the rules for protected athletes, you can adress the anti-doping process (as example you can only compete if all tests taken more than one month before competition have been returned negative) and more.

But I don't see an improvement or protection of junior athletes in it. Of course you can say that the senior competitions are more important and you would rather dope for these events than junior events but that's too short thought in my eyes.

But how do you even get the chance to compete in senior competitions (especially in Russia)? You have to be among the very best in a very competitive enviroment. If you enter the senior competitions at 15 or 18 imho the incentive to dope doesn't change.

And my fear is that the minimum age will be raised and that this will be considered sufficient. Then the situation will not change for a few years until it is determined that perhaps other (additional) measures are necessary.

 

[Tomadeur]

New recipe to get away with doping.
1. Use a minor athlete. Emphasis on the word "use".
2. Make sure to mislabel samples sent to be tested so the results come in late.
3. Blame late samples on everyone else and make the argument that their late testing makes them invalid.
4. Get leniency for your athlete so they can compete because of their age.
5. Play the victim and pretend everyone is out to get you.
6. Win gold.
7. Dispose of athlete once you can't delay their puberty anymore through starvation and drugs.

All endorsed by CAS.

The CAS hasn't made a decision on wheather Valieva is guilty or not. So maybe you should wait until that happened before you call conspiracy theories on the CAS.

 

[kan01]

The sad thing is Kamila will be seen as a hero by part of the Russian public, but Russian people are not stupid, they know in the rest of the world everyone will think, "She won as a doper." At this rate, they could stop competing internationally and hold only national competitions culminating in a big Russian Nationals and be happy about their teen quad jumping skaters in their own deluded world were they show other countries their greatness and make everyone bitter and green with envy because for the rest of the world, it's another story. Yeah, the podium will be Kamila, Sasha, Anna, but figure skating fans are not stupid!

 

[Zora]

I'm not suprised, but still I'm shocked by this decision...

The worst happening is that one skater misses out on having an olympic moment. We will have a fair result anyway as the incident is known and will be adressed after the olympics.

What about the silver medalist? No one but some figure skating fans will remember her name, if she will be the gold medal winner eventually.

 

[Alex Fedorov]

It's so sad to see you two, of all people, triumphing and gloating over the fact Anya and Sasha are about to take up this unfair and unjust fight in the most important tournament of their lives. It's like you have wiped your shoes on their life-long honest effort and aspirations.

First I lost faith in my favourite coach in figure skating, now in my two favourite people in this forum. Tough time.

in fact, Sasha and Anna also fell under this blow. Many participants in this discussion believe that all the achievements of Shcherbakova and Trusova are the result of the use of trimetazidine. Moreover, some people literally believe that after an unsuccessful short program, it is enough to take one tablet of this medicine - and surprise everyone in the FS.

 

[viennaskater]

So no medal ceremonies for the ladies. So it kinda backfires on TT themselves as they are expected to take the podium by their own...

Who/what is TT?

 

[Greengemmonster]

I think they should have gone top 4 and made just as big a fuss of the 4th finisher. At least that way no one is robbed of their Olympic moment and the 4th finisher could feel like she won the bronze depending on how are processes this entire debacle.

Seems kinder than robbing everyone of their Olympic moment?

 

[anonymoose_au]

https://olympics.com/ioc/news/ioc-eb-decides-no-medal-ceremonies-following-cas-decision-on-the-case-of-roc-skater

That's so depressing! One of the greatest moments of an athlete's life won't happen now....and Team Japan and Team US (and Team Canada I guess) don't get their moment.

I can understand Kamila's desire to continue, but what's the Russian Figure Skating Fed's take on this? Are they really willing to throw away everything for Kamila? I can't imagine Sasha and Anna will be very pleased at missing out on their podium moment - since they're very likely to end up on the podium too.

Eteri and co have always claimed that they don't treat one skater better than the others, but now it seems they do, because they're willing to take this moment away from Anna and Sasha.

 

[viennaskater]

in fact, Sasha and Anna also fell under this blow. Many participants in this discussion believe that all the achievements of Shcherbakova and Trusova are the result of the use of trimetazidine. Moreover, some people literally believe that after an unsuccessful short program, it is enough to take one tablet of this medicine - and surprise everyone in the FS.

Is it in tablet form?