Russia’s 2022 Olympic Skating Bronze After Kamila Valieva’s Doping Ban

The Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) will retain a bronze medal in the figure skating team event from the 2022 Beijing Olympics, despite being downgraded from gold following the disqualification of skater Kamila Valieva. The International Skating Union revealed on Tuesday that even after Valieva’s scores were removed, Russia’s total was still slightly higher than Canada’s, who had originally finished fourth.

Valieva, who was 15 years old during the Olympics, received a four-year doping suspension starting from December 2021. This decision by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) stripped the ROC of its gold medal nearly two years post the event. The CAS ruling concluded that Valieva violated anti-doping regulations, a decision that had significant implications on the Beijing Olympics and left other competitors in limbo regarding their medals.

Medals were not awarded in Beijing for this event. According to the revised scores, the United States moved up to gold with 65 points, Japan took silver with 63 points, and Russia secured bronze with 54 points, just one point ahead of Canada.

In response to Valieva’s ban, the World Anti-Doping Agency issued a statement condemning the doping of minors and calling for governments to criminalize such actions, noting that some countries have already done so.

The recent verdict marks a significant downturn for Valieva, who will be out of competition until 2028, thereby missing out on potential future achievements in her skating career.