Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva was disqualified from the 2022 Olympics on Monday, almost two years after her doping case caused turmoil at the Beijing Games.
The verdict from the Court of Arbitration for Sport means the Russians are set to be stripped of the gold medal in figure skating’s team event. The United States finished second and is set to be named Olympic champion instead.
The International Olympic Committee decided not to present any medals for the event in Beijing, where the 15-year-old Valieva was the star performer hours before her positive test for a banned heart medicine was revealed.
CAS said it upheld appeals led by the World Anti-Doping Agency, which asked the court to disqualify Valieva from the Olympics and ban her. A Russian sports tribunal had cleared her of any blame.
Man I feel bad for her. She was only 15 and probably didn’t have much of a say in the matter. It’s the right call, but still, I do feel for her.
Imagine if she coulda won without potentially risking her health with drugs, too.
This reminds me of when Trump called a race horse a junkie after winning the Kentucky Derby and being disqualified for a failed drug test. As if the horse was tying off and shooting up in the stable outhouse.
While this child has more agency than a horse, it’s not like she had a choice in the matter.
Is it right for her for be DQ’d? Yes, but she’s still a victim.
Don’t lose sight of the fact that she’s was a child made to take drugs by her own government.
This reminds me of when Trump called a race horse a junkie after winning the Kentucky Derby and being disqualified for a failed drug test.
Wait…
Trump literally compared himself to a racehorse yesterday to show how he has good genes (because his uncle was an MIT professor and apparently the brother of a winning racehorse is just as good as a winning racehorse).
So now even our Kentucky Derby winner, Medina Spirit, is a junky. This is emblematic of what is happening to our Country. The whole world is laughing at us as we go to hell on our Borders, our fake Presidential Election, and everywhere else!
https://web.archive.org/web/20210509170756/https://www.donaldjtrump.com/desk/desk-8pttbep59x/
She probably had no choice in the matter and trusted her coach and medical team to do the right thing.
Kids in the Olympics is a double edged sword.
That took a long fucking time. Opposed to the US sprinter who tested positive for a non-performance enhancing drug (weed) and was giving a suspension just 9 days after initial test results. Keeping her from even going to her games.
This girl had tested positive for performance enhancing drugs and was still allowed to compete. So they could take the next two years to get their shit together. Look I know she was 15 and probably had a choice on where to take them, but that doesn’t justify the wildly different responses.
Spelling
i will never understand why anyone lets russia compete in anything. they just always lie and cheat.
I mean the US and many other athletes have been caught before cheating this isn’t new. Canada the US, Sweden and, Spain just to name a few.
This is not just some random athletes doing it on their own here and there. There was (still is? Who knows) a Russian government run program to allow for doping and help their athletes evade monitoring from anti doping authorities. Likely at least 580 postive tests across 30 different sports covered up. Team USA doesn’t even get government funding, let alone a government run doping conspiracy.
https://www.bbc.com/sport/36823453
Saying Team USA doesn’t get government funding is inaccurate.
It’s not a holistic nationalized system like many other countries have, but that doesn’t mean Team USA athletes and athletic programs aren’t direct recipients of government financial support.
For example:
Team USA athletes have access to some of the best training facilities and coaching teams in the world, many of which get direct, or indirect government funding e.g. grants, subsidies, tax incentives, etc.
On a side note, that’s a great graphic. I was going to mention the hole in the wall in my other comment, but I was too lazy to go grab a source. Kudos.
The issue wasn’t athletes cheating individually. The issue was that Russia had a state sponsored doping program from top to bottom. That is significantly different than one off athletes, or one off coaches.
Why is racism upvoted
Isn’t it more racist to act as if being Russian is a singular racial demographic?
Russia is an empire, a decaying one, but still, it’s full of a wide variety of different racial groups that aren’t Slavic in origin.
Also, when people criticize the actions of the American government, should we all accuse them of being racist towards… Americans?
Boycott these worthless games.
I strongly disagree. The Olympics are one of the best things humanity does. Are the people running it corrupt scum? Pretty much. But the Olympics are one of the only times the whole world comes together to at least attempt to do something positive.
Also, have you ever watched the 49 kg (108 lb) women’s weightlifting competition? They look like ants lifting multiple times their body weight. It’s fucking awesome.
I’d rather not reward the IOC with my patronage and eyeballs viewing the blatant consumerism and capitalistic nature of what should be a wonderful event. The IOC takes home billions and the athletes get nothing.
Sorry, I vote with my wallet and my principles.