again . CAS cleared majority of atheletes from Sochi.
Kamila Valieva: Anti-doping Case and Follow-ups
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- Aug 15, 2003
Don't be so sure, just because there is an American arbitrator. The American and Canadian judges have been just awful in snowboarding in Beijing.. It's almost as if they have some kind of deals..
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- Jan 28, 2013
Yes, the other Russians will be penalized, just as Usain Bolt was penalized with losing his relay medal when after-the-fact doping was discovered years after the event had ended. Thanks, Nester Carter - because of you, Usain Bolt doesn't go down in history as going 9-for-9 in Olympic competition.
Here's an article: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...s-jamaica-teammate-ruled-to-have-been-doping/
How on earth does the team event matter for the individual event? Normally the teams would have already received their medals.
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- Sep 23, 2020
If she withdraws just from the individual event, why should it affect the team gold? It would be decided later anyway.
I'm confused that people are suggesting there's a difference because she didn't test positive AT the Olympics. I thought that just to be a competitor you had to pass ALL drug tests, even those outside competition because of the fact that any doping regimen would be planned to ensure a clean test at the Olympics.
If anything I suspect that based on past history, this type of doping is very common and that the anomaly is that Kamila Valieva's system retained traces of the drug for longer than her coaches expected.
If anything I suspect that based on past history, this type of doping is very common and that the anomaly is that Kamila Valieva's system retained traces of the drug for longer than her coaches expected.
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- Jan 28, 2013
That argument is nonsense, and I think the people making it know that.
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- Mar 7, 2015
no. DQ the ROC team. Sorry not sorry, just like it happens in a relay.
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- Feb 18, 2014
Fine.
But if the rules had been followed, CAS wouldn’t have had to clear ANY of them. Sochi was a disgrace.
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This is bullying, not appropriateView attachment 4969
Here it is, I actually did see it and didn't even notice. Look at the top of the image.
It's a re-post so she didn't create it herself, but the fact she posted it speaks volumes about her opinion
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- Feb 17, 2010
Great analysis! I think it could actually be the first or the third scenario. When Tonya Harding lost her 1994 National title, the placement was vacated and silver medalist Kwan did not move up to first. By that approach, Russia would still win the bronze medal. Like you said, we're in uncharted territory so who knows what can happen.
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- Feb 22, 2014
Real talk, I honestly hate that this is how her Olympics turned out. It’s crushing to see her so emotionally distraught. However, the fact is that the substance was found in her system. If there are absolutely no consequences now, it’s just going to keep happening. In her status as a minor, whoever is in charge of Russia’s doping program (and if you're really naive enough to think Eteri is the mastermind...) has found a sweet little loophole that they just couldn’t resist exploiting. They didn't have to either, which is what makes me so angry. The powers that be simply refused to trust in her obvious natural talents, and decided her fate for her. That is incredibly sad to me.
I'm not even the biggest Valieva fan, but to see all of her hopes and dreams thoroughly trashed like this...every minute of training--years and years of blood, sweat, and tears in that unforgiving environment for absolutely nothing...it's tragic. While I completely agree with people who are angry for the other athletes who may not get the Olympics they deserve because of this whole situation, I find it distrubing that some (not on this forum specifically) seem to be revelling in what's happened to her. They really should just ban Russia from all future competitions at this point. They should've banned them when Sochi happened. No more fake bans, with fake flags. They simply do not care. The real thing needs to happen, as much as it pains me to say it. I am not a hater either. I've almost exclusively watched Russian ladies since the beginning, and it is pretty much my whole identity as a skating fan. When they ban Russia, I will probably stop watching skating. But it is now beyond reason to suggest any other solution. If Russia is allowed to do this again and again, more athletes will get hurt in the way that Kamila is currently being decimated, and I know I never want to see that again.
I'm not even the biggest Valieva fan, but to see all of her hopes and dreams thoroughly trashed like this...every minute of training--years and years of blood, sweat, and tears in that unforgiving environment for absolutely nothing...it's tragic. While I completely agree with people who are angry for the other athletes who may not get the Olympics they deserve because of this whole situation, I find it distrubing that some (not on this forum specifically) seem to be revelling in what's happened to her. They really should just ban Russia from all future competitions at this point. They should've banned them when Sochi happened. No more fake bans, with fake flags. They simply do not care. The real thing needs to happen, as much as it pains me to say it. I am not a hater either. I've almost exclusively watched Russian ladies since the beginning, and it is pretty much my whole identity as a skating fan. When they ban Russia, I will probably stop watching skating. But it is now beyond reason to suggest any other solution. If Russia is allowed to do this again and again, more athletes will get hurt in the way that Kamila is currently being decimated, and I know I never want to see that again.
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- Feb 17, 2010
It's a tough situation. I try to take a step back, knowing that the Western media is largely anti-Russia and anti-China. However, even as a big Kamila fan, I'm trying to understand how the CAS arrived to its decision. For her to compete, there should be some possible scenario that produces a favorable outcome for her case. If it's that she is only 15 and therefore deserved only a warning, that should have been decided one way or another yesterday. I guess it's that the grandfather saliva excuse should be examined further, which is really odd.
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- Sep 1, 2020
Huh? Valieva is the biggest star of this moment for her star Russian coach, Eteri. If Eteri knows nothing about a banned substance found in one of her prized skaters via routine testing and/or had 'minimal' involvement, then that actually does imply that Eteri is rather foolish, and not in charge of her own skaters, as well as lacking in the ability to manage her own training and coaching operation.
Another huge factor in all of this is that Valieva is one of the most talented athletes Eteri has ever had. Valieva had no need to be given any banned drugs for any reason whatsoever! Let her train hard naturally, the old-fashioned way. And then let her talent simply take over in competition, without all the OTT demands, tensions, and gimmicky bells and whistles which simply detract from her sublime skating. The drug in no way could enhance Valieva's talent and her ability to perform well. If it was supposed to help her recover from physical exhaustion faster in order to be pushed to unnatural limits in training, that's a completely foolish way of training, which is long-term harmful to Valieva health-wise! And now, also harmful to Valieva's reputation, and to her career.
Your comment ironically tells on Eteri! You're saying Eteri wouldn't risk her own reputation for an athlete! What do you mean exactly? Eteri has achieved her so-called 'reputation' because of her athletes! If Eteri was actually a responsible coach, she would be more concerned about her skaters' careers, health, and reputations, instead of obsessed with her own standing in the sport!
It sounds like you're saying Eteri wouldn't be directly involved (only 'minimally' involved) because there are so many others available to replace Valieva? Duh! That's contradictory and makes no sense, as I said, because 'commodity' Valieva IS (or was) Eteri's money athlete of the moment -- the one most likely to win Olympic gold. Any drug intervention obviously would have taken place precisely because they try to push athletes to the limit, with apparently no real concern for their health and well-being. And if Eteri has so many athletes available (as she does) to take Valieva's place, then an argument could be made that Eteri doesn't care about the push for drug intervention because it might work in Eteri's favor, if (as they seem to think) the harsh push in training that the drug enables might add something to 'throwaway' star Valieva's chances. It didn't and it doesn't.
In fact, it seems to me now that this whole 'drug' situation could be one of the reasons why Valieva never seemed to be fully enjoying herself in competition. There was always a nervous look on her face, and a lot of tension, which appeared to affect her enjoyment in skating, despite her sublime abilities (which were also detracted from by the wardrobe gimmicks, etc.). After her winning performances, Valieva just seemed to be relieved rather than fully satisfied or happy with her accomplishments.
Exactly!!!
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- Feb 18, 2014
I would give this multiple likes if I could!
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- Jan 12, 2018
If this is true, it is extremely disturbing for me personally, as big as a fan of Kamila I am.. but coming up with such stories is never a good sign...The "Grandfather's Glass" is not a hoax or a joke, at least according to (English language) Pravda, but an explanation actually presented by Kamila's lawyer:
Kamila Valieva says she is emotionally exhausted, but still happy to be at the Games
Russia makes mistakes that are unacceptable in sports, and does not draw any conclusions from it afterwardsenglish.pravda.ru
Kamila Valieva's mother Alsu Valieva and lawyer Anna Kozmenko spoke at court during the hearings of the skater's case. They said that the concentration of trimetazidine, which was found in the athlete's doping sample, was negligibly small. It was her grandfather, who may have caused the substance to end up in Kamila's body, they said. He could allegedly drink something from a glass, having left traces of his saliva on the glass before Kamila drank from the glass as well.
Maybe they are backtracking now that they realize how utterly foolish it sounds, and that it only undermines her case and does not help it?
Personally, I have no way of knowing whether drugs are being given to Eteri skaters or not. But one thing I´m quite sure of: Eteri and her team does not consist of idiots. That is not the picture I have gotten from them, LOL. Valieva (and other skaters, too) has been clean in all her competitions including GP, 2022 Europeans and the Olympics, except at 2022 Russian Nationals. IF drugs are being used they have known exactly how to handle them without being detected at tests or they have not used them at all. This one time positive result is a mystery and I´m waiting for more info after the Olympics as the matter will be handled.
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- Oct 30, 2019
This is a really tragic point to me as well. We'll now never know how good Kamila could have been without doping, but it probably was good enough to get gold either way. The German Sportschau commentator made the point that in figure skating, doping isn't quite as powerful as it is in other disciplines - though there are still real, tangible benefits that can't be dismissed. However, doping alone can't teach you artistry and it's not teaching you to jump a quad. If you don't already have a really good basis, doping usually can't get you on the podium. And yet, I guess they just didn't think Kamila was good enough to do it on her own (or doping is so deeply ingrained as normalised into the mindset of her coaches that the thought of not doing it never even occured).
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- Mar 7, 2015
I think we see figure skating with old eyes. Maybe 20-30 years ago, doping was not in the culture for figure skating... but I am not so sure doping is "not that useful" in figure skating at this point... Considering how the sport has evolved, it has become a highly physically demanding competition. It's pretty much gymnastics on ice PLUS intense cardiovascular activity. Powerful skating is needed for a long 4 minutes. Watching speed skating, 4 minutes is pretty much the length of a 3000 meter event. Of course, the skaters do not go at full speed always.. but then, they also spin and jump... On top of that, great posture and flexibility are required, which require more off-ice training. Considering how skaters breathe heavily after a routine, yup... it is an extremely demanding sport.
If there are a lot of skills required that cannot be learned without natural talent, coordination and dedication, I would easily argue that with a lot of training, these skills can be mastered earlier and better. Also, considering that the jumps need to be done at a much younger age, it does require an extreme regimen which implies the ability to recover easily.
So to me, there were would be incentive to dope athletes who show some talent for the big tricks, to make sure they recover quickly enough to train more and more and more and secure these elements earlier and better. It seems that a race against time would favour the use of substances.
If there are a lot of skills required that cannot be learned without natural talent, coordination and dedication, I would easily argue that with a lot of training, these skills can be mastered earlier and better. Also, considering that the jumps need to be done at a much younger age, it does require an extreme regimen which implies the ability to recover easily.
So to me, there were would be incentive to dope athletes who show some talent for the big tricks, to make sure they recover quickly enough to train more and more and more and secure these elements earlier and better. It seems that a race against time would favour the use of substances.
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- Sep 1, 2020
This statement has probably been discussed already in this long thread. I just had a chance to see it.
My immediate reaction:
In the interest of fairness to Valieva, the IOC is being drastically unfair toward the other athletes. It sucks not to be able to enjoy the Olympic medal ceremony, at the actual Olympics, in the moment. Luckily for the team event medalists, they at least were able to celebrate with their on-ice flower ceremony!
Who is the 25th participant allowed to compete?
Dignified? Seriously?
Nothing about any of this is at all dignified. Nor is it fair for the other medal-winning athletes to be forced to wait until after the Olympics to participate in deserved medal ceremonies because officials are bending over backwards to somehow belatedly 'protect' a minor who btw has not been protected at all under the existing conditions in her coach, Eteri's, training camp.
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