After Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva landed the top spot after the first day of competition in the women’s singles event Tuesday, top figure skaters questioned why she was allowed to compete.
Tara Lipinski, the 1998 Olympics gold medalist in women's singles,, “I almost don’t believe what I’m seeing” during Valieva’s warm up on NBC, adding she didn’t think she would be allowed to compete, and doesn’t think she should be.
Adam Rippon, a former U.S. figure skater who’s coaching U.S. team member Mariah Bell, called the ladies event “a complete joke” and “not a real competition” in a , lamenting the Olympic experiences “stolen” from athletes who did not use performance-enhancing drugs to get to the 2022 Games.Time he’s questioning what it means to be an Olympian, and that while he puts the blame on people around Valieva, “if she did cheat, it’s very simple to me—she shouldn’t be competing.”Valieva’s drug test “totally destroys the Olympic spirit” and questioned what kind of message the IOC is sending to young athletes with Olympic aspirations.
The Russian Olympic Committee did not send Valieva to speak during a press conference following the short program, and a spokesperson for the Russian figure skating federation did not immediately respond to a request for comment fromSeveral Russian athletes and officials applauded the decision to let Valieva compete. Russian Sports Minister Oleg Matytsin“the only right and fair decision” to allow her to compete in the individual event.
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva cleared to compete in Beijing Olympics
Read more »
Winter Olympics live updates: USA's Mikaela Shiffrin back for downhill, Russian Kamila Valieva cleared to skateRussian figure skater Kamila Valieva has been cleared to compete, and Team USA's Mikaela Shiffrin is back for downhill at the 2022 Winter Olympics. 🏅 Keep up with the latest from Beijing here.
Read more »
Russian Kamila Valieva says her positive drug test was due to grandfather's medicationAttorneys for Kamila Valieva argued that trimetazidine entered her system through a medication that her grandfather takes, an IOC official said.
Read more »
Russian Kamila Valieva takes ice for first Olympic event since doping rulingUPDATE: Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva skated today in the women's short program in her first event since it was revealed she tested positive for a banned drug. A court ruled that she was allowed to continue competing.
Read more »
Russian Skater Kamila Valieva Cleared to Compete at OlympicsRussian figure skater Kamila Valieva has been cleared to compete in the women’s figure skating competition at the Winter Olympics despite failing a pre-Games drug test. The Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled after a hastily arranged hearing that lasted into early Monday morning that the 15-year-old Valieva, the favorite for the women’s individual gold, does not need to be…
Read more »