Kamila Valieva: Anti-doping Case and Follow-ups

[prorussian fan]

If I were the IOC I would have allowed Kami's participation with reservation without affecting the podium of the others. That is if the results ended: 1. Kami, 2/3/4. Anna, Sasha/Kaori, give gold, silver and bronze to 2/3/4 places in Beijing and if Kami is proven innocent, give her gold/silver/bronze medal, depending on where she finishes, in another event.

 

[LiamForeman]

If the investigators find the Grandfather story (or whatever their future defence might be) credible
and if there is no substantial international pressure against it I can totally see them getting off,
them being her separately as a minor and the team around her, I can also see a team doctor or assistant
coach of some sort as a scapegoat if they feel pressured enough by whatever scale of investigation
they might face.

Oh, I fully expect that shady doc to be thrown under the bus. But now TeamTut will be under intense scrutiny, which will be a good thing.

 

[matin calin]

Put out a statement that she vehemently stands by her assertion that the positive test was due to an accidental ingestion,

Maybe it was truly the case/KV believed that it was the case? Maybe they appealed to save the face for the Russian public or Eteri's career as a coach? The grandpa story is, in my opinion, almost certainly a lie. It just sounds ridiculous and I really hope it will not be formally substantiated. Eteri has so many haters and rivals in Russia that can't accept her dominance that I'd rather believe that someone spiked Kamila's food with TMZ to get back at her coach. But this is probable unprovable in court while the grandpa version can be backed up somehow.

There is a lot in this that does not add up to me, still. I want to be as unbiased and open minded as possible. I wonder if it is fair to deny Kamila - and even Eteri - any benefit of the doubt (re. accidental consumption) just because they're Russian. Guilt by association. Let's imagine Loena or Alysa (or Ilia Malinin to make it a bit harder) tested positive and blamed the grandpa. How would people and media receive it?

 

[Mista Ekko]

Oh, I fully expect that shady doc to be thrown under the bus. But now TeamTut will be under intense scrutiny, which will be a good thing.

Well apart from dealing with scrutiny, now they'll have to adjust to the probable new age of eligibility.

By the way, has it been discussed in the age of eligibility thread wether someone who crossed to seniors
at 15 this season will have to go back to juniors for a year if they raise the limit to 17?

 

[millie]

And Russians are SO overwhelmingly positive towards her that "foreign" media cannot overcome it for her, no way.

And also it depends A LOT of what actually happened. If she 100% sure that she did nothing wrong - the fact that she competes could not affect her worse than if she would not.

Do athletes that get caught Doping, do they ever admit to Doping?
In Every situation, there is a viable reason why it’s in their system, never their fault.
You know Russia is going to be overwhelming positive towards her. With regards to “foreign” media not being able to overcome it for her, they all are stating the truth and the news because the media like all of us, we are disgusted with the Russian doping of athletes.

 

[4everchan]

If I were the IOC I would have allowed Kami's participation with reservation without affecting the podium of the others. That is if the results ended: 1. Kami, 2/3/4. Anna, Sasha/Kaori, give gold, silver and bronze to 2/3/4 places in Beijing and if Kami is proven innocent, give her gold/silver/bronze medal, depending on where she finishes, in another event.

The problem with this is that if she is guilty, she was allowed to compete with a positive test... and if she is not guilty, why give an extra medal that nobody will regard as a deserved podium finish?

Competing with a positive test is unheard of and setting a precedent. That's why many were hoping that wouldn't happen. It's bigger than the skater here, it's about clean sport

 

[LiamForeman]

*i don't think it happens but that would be the best way to end this for her. Because at this point even if she is later cleared of it, everyone will remember her positive doping test in connection with these Olympics.

People will remember something about a skater (of all people!) testing positive who stunned the world with her beautiful other worldly skating and she will have a fabulous career. I think she will not be thinking of her haterz while she sleeps at night with the Olympic Gold Medal around her neck.

 

[el henry]

Besides the fact, that millions and millions of US citizens are not watching the Olympics -- ratings are at an all time low, including figure skating which is usually the flag bearer of winter sports during the Olympic Games. They could give a rat's butt, as someone else nicely put it, about what is going on with this doping scandal.

I would need to disagree with one point:

Americans do care about the doping story, because they care about fair play. And many many people are comparing this to the Sha'Carri Richardson case (which I believe is completely different, but that's not the point).

Do they care because of Team Event medals. No, they do not. Right now, some Americans could tell you who Nathan Chen is. And that's about it. They wouldn't even know Madi and Zach.

Whether the TE medals are gold, silver, bronze or plastic, 99% of Americans could give a rat's patootie. About the US or anyone else.

 

[Sam-Skwantch]

Besides the fact, that millions and millions of US citizens are not watching the Olympics -- ratings are at an all time low, including figure skating which is usually the flag bearer of winter sports during the Olympic Games. They could give a rat's butt, as someone else nicely put it, about what is going on with this doping scandal.

“TV” ratings are low but online digital media and social media hits could signal the olympics are at an all time high. Peacock has over 9 million subscribers that can tune in and watch any and or all events as their schedules allow for it. Snowboarding has really moved into the limelight though with Shaun White’s 2018 appearance among the highest watched Olympic events of all time.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/media/2022/02/09/nbc-olympics-ratings/

Personally I think seeing the athletes all pulling for each other is a huge attraction for viewers and something the world needs to see.

 

[Magill]

She and her coaching team appealed to have the suspension rescinded so they got the ball rolling on this fiasco. Even after it was ruled she could compete, the blowback was fairly swift and the decision could have been made to step away even though she was 'allowed' to compete by CAS. Put out a statement that she vehemently stands by her assertion that the positive test was due to an accidental ingestion, but she realizes her presence due to this situation is harming the sport she loves so she is withdrawing from the individual event so all of her fellow competitors can shine and have the Olympic experience they came for and she hopes to have it in 2026.

*i don't think it happens but that would be the best way to end this for her. Because at this point even if she is later cleared of it, everyone will remember her positive doping test in connection with these Olympics.

Yes, the way it looks now, most probably, quite contrary to what her entourage hopes for, even is she wins - and even is she gets eventually cleared -she will be remembered by the general public not as the one who won the olympics but as the one who was caught doped during the olympics . Yes, I know this is technically not true but I doubt a casual viewer would remember the timeline and other details.

 

[Sloopy]

what do you all have with america? this story is also all over europe and australia, and japan/china. its not just Americans beeing angry , i am from germany and i am angry to, dissapointed as well. because while i sympathize with kamila she should not have been able to compete in the individual , , i don't even care who gets the gold medal in the team comp

They keep throwing America under the bus due to the traditional power of their media and/or everything else, and the propaganda currently being aimed at the US. They cannot see the forest for the trees. When they say western, they don't actually mean western but the US and only the US. I too sympathize with Kamila and disappointed that this happened to her. But she shouldn't be held above the rules because she's 15 and competing with adults. If she's old enough to compete, she's old enough to suffer the consequence of actions, whether it was her doing or adults around her.

 

[Fanof]

People will remember something about a skater (of all people!) testing positive who stunned the world with her beautiful other worldly skating and she will have a fabulous career. I think she will not be thinking of her haterz while she sleeps at night with the Olympic Gold Medal around her neck.

Remember to watch her tomorrow, I'm not so sure we will see her again

 

[Pantsu]

Valieva trained for many years for that moment. I can't even imagine how hard it was for her to become undoubtly the best in the Russian ladies field.
And you want her to give up on the dream just to appease the hateful mob.
Especially if she knows she didn't dope.
That's pure lunacy.

 

[Mista Ekko]

Valieva trained for many years for that moment. I can't even imagine how hard it was for her to become undoubtly the best in the Russian ladies field.
And you want her to give up on the dream just to appease the hateful mob.
Especially if she knows she didn't dope.
That's pure lunacy.

I think that's the winning argument guys,
Let's leave the poor girl alone.

 

[el henry]

They keep throwing America under the bus due to the traditional power of their media and/or everything else, and the propaganda currently being aimed at the US. They cannot see the forest for the trees. When they say western, they don't actually mean western but the US and only the US. I too sympathize with Kamila and disappointed that this happened to her. But she shouldn't be held above the rules because she's 15 and competing with adults. If she's old enough to compete, she's old enough to suffer the consequence of actions, whether it was her doing or adults around her.

This.

I think "western" is some kind of code word for American, but I'm not into deciphering code words. Brazil is a country west of the prime meridian. Morocco is west of the prime meridian. Code words don't help.

Jumping off, and not directed at you, using the word "west" seems the same as blaming everything on people who "hate" Kamila, or "hate" Eteri, or hate whatever.

No one in the general public in the "West" gave a rat's patootie about Kamila, Eteri, the team event, or anything else to do with Russian skating before this happened. They didn't know the names and they didn't care. They care about *doping*. Periodt.

Now I'm a skating fan, but I'm indifferent to the ladies' results. I didn't watch the short and I won't watch the long. My concern is for the process.

My medal is Jason finishing 6th and I'm still on cloud nine about that. .

 

[Mista Ekko]

Remember to watch her tomorrow, I'm not so sure we will see her again

It has always been unpleasant watching Eteri stars of the last decade skate beyond their teenage limit,
Medvedeva and Lipnitskaya were two hard ones for me personally, So maybe she could nail her FS
tomorrow and go out with a bang not having to go through that, though she maybe had another
good season or two in her, who knows

 

[matin calin]

Cry all over the world's mass media hardly affect her, most important thing for Kamilla is how ppl around her act. How Russian media acts, etc.
And Russians are SO overwhelmingly positive towards her that "foreign" media cannot overcome it for her, no way.

And also it depends A LOT of what actually happened. If she 100% sure that she did nothing wrong - the fact that she competes could not affect her worse than if she would not.

But she will probable become persona non grata on the international arena, no big ad contracts, no skate shows. She's already been kind of "cancelled" in the US, even before any investigation took place. Even if she is exonerated in a legal sense I am afraid it won't change much. People have made up their minds as you can see, and it will take a "clearing" campaign of the same magnitude to repair the damage, which will never happen, for obvious reasons.

Competing internationally will probably never be the same. Although Kamila is not my favourite I admit that she really is one in a million, and it pains me that now people will be doubting her natural talent and attributing everything to doping (this is already happening). Her post-skating career will probably never blossom like for example Alina Zagitova's who I've always considered just average. This is sad.

 

[anonymoose_au]

Remember to watch her tomorrow, I'm not so sure we will see her again

Which is really depressing for Kamila.

Like I said as a 15 year old she can't really assess what the far-off future could be like.

Also let's be honest here, if the case is upheld and she does lose her medals how faithful do you really think the Russian public will be?

The Russian Figure Skating Federation will certainly drop her like a stone. Team Crystal probably won't bend over backwards for her either.

And in the end, it could just be Kamila and her family, alone, with no medals and no support from the powers-that-be.

 

[prorussian fan]

Enough with the speech "the sport is over for letting a dirty athlete compete". If there are regulations and standards that do not cover all cases, it is WADA's problem, not Kamila's. That Russia failed again, that is just a baseless anti-Russian nationalist argument. This is an isolated case and if Kamila is found guilty, it will not be because there is a state regime or something similar. Leave your heart and think with your head, a little common sense.

 

[LiamForeman]

So little Tara is outraged.

It's interesting how the skating of 15 y/o's Tara and Kamila compare against one another. It certainly doesn't flatter little Tara.