“An Error Was Made”: Kamila Valieva Doping Case Takes a Fresh Turn as IOC Member Makes New Claim

Published 02/05/2024, 2:04 PM EST

The case of Kamila Valieva has triggered a cascade of consequences, not just for her but for the nations that participated in the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. On January 29, 2024, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) banned the 17-year-old Russian figure skating icon from the sport for four years and stripped Russia of its gold medal win at the Olympics. However, the International Skating Union (ISU) was tasked with reordering the team skating medals after Valieva’s disqualification.

The United States was allotted the gold, while Japan came in second for silver, and Russia moved to third for bronze. However, this decision has sparked global debate. And now, an insider of the IOC has also claimed that the decision was an error.

An IOC Insider adds new intrigue to the Kamila Valieva case

Article continues below this ad

Christine Brennan, a sports journalist for USA Today, shared on X that there’s a controversy in figure skating regarding the 2022 Olympic team’s bronze medal. Her post read, “New: IOC member Dick Pound tells me re: ROC over CAN for team bronze: “Clearly there has been an error made.”

New: IOC member Dick Pound tells me re: ROC over CAN for team bronze: “Clearly there has been an error made. It should not require a legal proceeding. The math is not rocket science. An error was made & needs to be corrected asap. The longer it goes on, the worse the ISU looks.” https://t.co/Ke6TFMt28N
— Christine Brennan (@cbrennansports) February 5, 2024

According to Pound, the math behind determining the medal standings is not very complicated, and there shouldn’t be a need for a legal proceeding to resolve the issue. He believes that the mistake needs to be corrected as soon as possible. He even told Brennan, ” The longer it goes on, the worse the ISU looks.” This statement by Dick Pound adds to the existing questions about the decision.

The debate surrounding the medal allocations

Article continues below this ad

On January 30, according to USA Today’s Christine Brennan, Skate Canada raised concerns about the ISU’s decision, citing a specific rule (Rule 353(4)(a)) stating that disqualified competitors lose their placements, and others move up accordingly, meaning Canada should get bronze instead of Russia. Skate Canada expressed their disappointment with the ISU’s decision and said they might appeal to challenge or disagree with the decision and ask for it to be changed, according to Christine Brennan.

Days After Doping Ban, Kamila Valieva Breaks Silence

Article continues below this ad

Travis Tygart from the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency also supports applying discipline-specific rules and believes it’s unfair for Russia to keep the bronze. While Russia claimed that the results shouldn’t change based on Valieva’s case and questioned the objectivity of the decisions. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) had kept the medals on hold until the Valieva case was resolved. Now, there’s uncertainty about when and how the medals will be awarded. What do you think about the situation? Comment below!

Watch this story: Most Decorated Olympic Athlete Who Broke Usain Bolt’s Record Goes Down Memory Lane of Her Glorious Career

SHARE THIS ARTICLE :

Written by:

Hello there! I'm Christaline Meyers, a Olympics Sports Writer for Essentially Sports. As an ardent lover of the sporting world, I've found my home in the dazzling world of Gymnastics, where elegance meets athleticism in gravity-defying routines. But my passion doesn't stop there; I'm a sports enthusiast with a taste for the wild waves of surfing, the adrenaline rush of Alpine Skiing, and the street-smart moves of skateboarding.

Edited by:

Sampurna Pal

“An Error Was Made”: Kamila Valieva Doping Case Takes a Fresh Turn as IOC Member Makes New Claim

An IOC Insider adds new intrigue to the Kamila Valieva case

Trending

Bronny in Deep Waters as $800,000 Suffering Forces LeBron James’ Son to End College Career With Major Declining Numbers

“Very Disturbing”: Ex Wife Pilar Sanders Reprimands Coach Prime for “Stupid” Take on Shelomi’s Transfer Portal Decision

Exclusive: After Kyle Busch & Denny Hamlin’s Criticism of $5 Million NASCAR Decision, Crew Chief Admits to Feeling “Lost” at Talladega

Exclusive: Michael McDowell Reportedly the “Snitch” Who Got NASCAR Team Kicked Out at Talladega

“It Will Ruin the Game”: Citing Caitlin Clark’s Example, Geno Auriemma Warns WNBA

The debate surrounding the medal allocations