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On January 30, the International Skating Union (ISU) recalculated the figure skating team results at the Beijing Winter Olympics after Valieva was cancelled due to a ban: according to the regulations, Valieva's 10 points for the Russian team were deducted, a total of 20 points, and the Russian total score was reduced from 74 points to 54 points. The United States and Japan won the gold and silver medals, respectively, and the Russian team dropped to third place.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport issued a statement on the 29th, saying that Kamila Valieva, a Russian figure skater nicknamed "K-Bao" by fans, "has been found to have violated anti-doping rules and will be banned for four years from December 25, 2021." The statement said that since December 25, 2021, "all the results of the competitions have been invalid, including the team gold medal she won for the Russian Olympic Committee delegation at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics." Although she can lift the ban before Milan 2026, her hopes of competing are very slim. Russian press secretary Dmitry Peskov said that the disqualification of Russian women's figure skater Valieva from competition for four years by the Court of Arbitration for Sport was a politicized decision, and Russia would appeal the matter.
Born in 2006, Valieva helped the Russian Olympic Committee team win the team gold medal in figure skating at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics at the age of 15. However, the award ceremony did not go ahead as scheduled, and the International Doping Testing Agency subsequently informed Valieva of suspected doping violations. In the women's singles competition, Valieva finished fourth and missed a medal.
Invaleva was under the age of 16 at the time, classified as a "protected person" under the World Anti-Doping Code, and the person concerned would not be compelled to disclose her name to the public or any cases in which she may be involved. However, there was a failure to give Valieva the same protection, and it was widely reported on the basis of unofficial information, for which the International Doping Control Agency made official information available to the public.
On the 30th, the International Skating Union officially said that the Russian figure skating team fell to third place in the figure skating team event at the Beijing Olympics after Valieva's disqualification. Valieva's results at the Beijing Olympics were also cancelled, which led to a change in the team results. The United States team came in first, Japan in second place, and Russia dropped to third place.
Peskov said that even after the decision of the Court of Arbitration for Sport and the International Skating Federation, Russian athletes are still champions for Russia. "We celebrated these athletes as Olympic champions after returning from the 2022 Winter Olympics in China, and we are confident that they will always be Olympic champions for us, no matter what decision is made, even if it is unjust. We do not agree with these rulings, whether by the courts or by the Federation. We don't accept that. But we believe that there is certainly a need to continue to work with all relevant bodies. If there is any opportunity to defend and continue to protect the rights of our athletes, we need to mobilize to the end. Peskov said.
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