Kamila Valieva: IOC confirms no medal ceremonies for events if Russian teenager on podium at Winter Olympics

Updated 15/02/2022 at 08:40 GMT

Figure skaters will have to wait until after the Winter Olympics to receive their medals in events that Kamila Valieva finishes in the top three, after the International Olympic Committee confirmed there would be no ceremonies which would have involved the Russian. The teenager has been cleared to compete in the singles, despite failing a drugs test in December.

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The International Olympic Committee has confirmed there will be no medal ceremonies for events involving a top three finish for teenage Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva at the Winter Olympics.

The 15-year-old has been cleared by the Court of Arbitration for Sport to compete in Tuesday's start of the singles, even though she failed a drugs test in December.

That hearing was not about the doping case itself, but the provisional suspension that was lifted allowing her to compete earlier in the Games, when she helped the Russian Olympic Committee win gold in the team event.

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CAS ruled there were "exceptional circumstances" because of her age, and delayed notification of the result, which came on February 8 - after she had already competed.

It means the top three in the team event will not receive their medals in Beijing and nor will those in the podium positions in the singles, if Valieva finishes within those spots.

A decision will eventually be made about whether Valieva's results at the Olympics will stand, with the IOC saying only "after due process has been followed can it be established whether Ms Valieva infringed the World Anti-Doping Code (WADC) and would have to be sanctioned."

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The Russian teenager tested positive for trimetazidine, a drug used to treat angina which is banned in and out of competition.

The US won team silver ahead of Japan, but the athletes involved will have to wait to receive their medals, which could be upgraded if the Russian teenager is eventually found guilty of wrongdoing. Canada, who finished fourth, would stand to benefit in that scenario.

The IOC says it has consulted with National Olympic Committees (NOCs) to make the medal decision, coming to the conclusion that it would "not be appropriate" to hand out awards when the case has not been resolved.

There is also due to be a 25th competitor in the free skating competition on Thursday, if Valieva is ranked in the top 24 after tomorrow's short programme.

It is not yet known how medals will eventually be presented, but the IOC says it will "organise dignified medal ceremonies once the case of Ms Valieva has been concluded."

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'Is that Olympic spirit? Is that what the Olympics are about?'

Former Italian figure skater Valentina Marchei said the IOC decision will lead to a horrible situation where Valieva's medal rivals hope she messes up to finish off the podium.

"You are a young lady with a dream. You have been sacrificing everything for that dream. Strict diet, many long exhausting hours of practice, lots of sweat, lots of cries, years 8000km away from your family just to chase that dream," said Eurosport expert Marchei, who competed at the 2014 and 2018 Winter Olympics.

"Now you have a chance to win a medal at the Olympics. To be on that Olympic podium. To hear your anthem. To realise that dream not just for you but also for your country.

"And you find yourself that all you can do is to hope that the favourite of the event, the unbeatable girl, has to fall multiple times in order for you to fulfil that dream. Is that Olympic spirit? Is that what the Olympics are about?"