From gold to bronze: even discounting Valieva’s points, the Russian skating team remains on the podium in Beijing 2022

The International Skating Federation (ISU) announced on Tuesday the new podium of the team figure skating event at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, with Russia retreating from gold to bronze after the points scored by child prodigy Kamila Valieva, suspended for doping, were removed.

With this change, the American national team becomes the new Olympic champion; the Japanese, silver medal; and Russia falls from the first to the third step of the podium.

Valieva was disqualified on Monday by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (TAS) from all her tests since December 2021 and sanctioned for four years, in a doping case that took almost two years to resolve. At the Beijing Games, she was 15 years old, and she will turn 18 in April.

The ISU published an amended scoreboard for the final results of the Olympic competition in Beijing 2022, and stripped Valieva of the maximum of 10 points in its two categories. However, they did not add points to the other teams lower down.

In addition, the ISU said it had consulted with the International Olympic Committee (IOC), which makes the final decision on the medals, before completing its duty to modify the result as organizer of the event: “The ISU is in close contact with the International Olympic Committee regarding the implementation of its decision,” the body said.

Canada, which remained fourth, could appeal the decision to TAS because other teams did not receive an increase in their score to account for Valieva’s disqualification. Canada still has eight out of 10 points in the women’s short and free skating program, conducted by Madeline Schizas. Japan still has nine points in both races, scored by Wakaba Higuchi in the short program and Kaori Sakamoto in the freestyle. Canada’s total score was 53 and the number of the Russian women went from 74 to 54, which was also enough for the bronze medals, which Valieva will not receive. A Canadian appeal to the court in Lausanne, Switzerland, could prolong the case for another year.

If there is an appeal from Canada, the medal ceremony would be delayed, which never took place in Beijing 2022 because the news about a positive test for Valieva for a banned heart drug came out hours after she skated and sealed the Russian victory.

The IOC board of directors has its next meeting scheduled for March 19-21 in Lausanne, at the same time that Canada hosts the World Figure Skating Championships in Montreal.