Winter Olympics: Russian gold on hold amid reports of positive drug test
FILE PHOTO: 2022 Beijing Olympics – Figure Skating – Team Event – Women Single Skating – Free Skating – Capital Indoor Stadium, Beijing, China – February 7, 2022. Kamila Valieva of the Russian Olympic Committee after winning gold during the flower ceremony. REUTERS/Aleksandra Szmigiel
BEIJING—The Russian figure skaters who won the team event at the Beijing Olympics on Monday have still not received their gold medals with media reports on Wednesday saying one had returned a positive drug test.
The International Olympic Committee, International Skating Union, Russian Olympic Committee and international agency in charge of drugs testing during the Games declined to comment on the reports in USA Today and The Guardian.
It was not clear in the media reports when the positive result occurred and what substance was traced. Under Olympic rules, performance-enhancing drugs attract a different penalty to those for recreational use.
The medal ceremony was postponed on Monday after the Russian team’s victory and has still not taken place. The United States took silver and Japan bronze in the competition.
Earlier on Wednesday, the IOC said “legal consultations” had forced the postponement of the medals ceremony, but said it would go ahead eventually.
“A situation arose at short notice that requires legal consultation,” IOC spokesperson Mark Adams said.
“You can bet your bottom dollar we are doing everything that this situation can be resolved as soon as possible. I cannot give you any more details but we will do our utmost.”
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said they would wait for official statements before commenting on the matter.
Kamila Valieva, the 15-year-old who landed the first quadruple jumps by a woman in Olympic competition, was one of the four ROC athletes. Pairs dancers Anastasia Mishina and Aleksandr Galliamov, and Mark Kondratiuk, were also on the team.
They did not appear at their practice sessions on Wednesday.
Ice dance pair Victoria Sinitsina and Nikita Katsalapov, who were also on the winning team, showed up at morning practice.
No Russian ice dancers, however, trained at a session slotted for them at a practice rink near Beijing’s Capital Indoor Stadium on Wednesday night after the news broke.
Russian athletes are competing in Beijing as representatives of the ROC rather than their home nation due to doping sanctions.
