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© Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.Valieva skates into first place after Olympic short program; Sakamoto third
By DAVE SKRETTA BEIJING©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.
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snowymountainhell
Grace under pressure. This is how most athletes should govern themselves:
“Whether it is fair, I am not quite sure,” said Japan's Kaori Sakamoto, who sits in third place. “I would like to refrain from answering that question. Right now
I would just like to focus on my own performance.” -
nonu6976
She shouldn't be competing - she has tested positive for a banned substance (there is no dispute about this). Her spokesperson says she got the pills mixed up with her grandfathers pills - is that really a legitimate excuse nowadays?
nakanoguy01
grandpa's pills are packaged totally differently than vitamins or other supplements. her excuse doesn't hold water and she should be ashamed of herself. luckily, she won't be awarded any medals during these games even if she places in the top 3.
Michael Machida
Take her medals away.
Sven Asai
Sorry, but no one can tell me that all the plenty of other grey zone medications they all swallow in ‘megatons’ there are so much different or healthier than those marked illegal or above the quite incidentally set red ‘doping’ line. That’s a farce and nothing else, maybe just to intentionally exclude one or another target athlete or team if a good time point and possibility opens up a chance to do. To honestly get realistic results that would correlate to real and natural capabilities of human bodies they would have to forbid all medications, additives, isotonic drinks , energy bars and similar things altogether.
TorafusuTorasan
The dog ate my homework again this week.
I hope a large part of the ROC prize money intended for Valieva goes to gramps after he gets thrown under the bus like this.
tooheysnew
a bit of an oxymoron for a drug cheat
Steve
ROC means Republic of cheaters
stormcrow
She shouldn’t even be there. For that matter, the whole Russian team shouldn’t be there either.
rainyday
It really does make a mockery of the games allowing someone who has just failed a doping test to just carry on competing, especially given the much harder line they have taken with others for similar violations.
garypen
Unless that's Russian for "Cheater!", it doesn't really apply here.
Pukey2
I don't think many Japanese are in any position to cry foul, considering they were very quiet at Sochi. Their main concern was that Kim Yuna did not win the gold. There was even some happiness in Japan if I remember correctly.
OssanAmerica
This is why the Olympics have become such a joke. If Doping rules are established they have to be applied to everyone equally.
rainyday
Correct me if I'm wrong but I don't remember a single Japanese Olympic athlete having ever failed a doping test.
The argument you seem to be making, that because Japanese fans were happy that the main rival to their favorite skater lost at an Olympics 8 years ago....and therefore we can conclude that Japan is complicit in Russia's massive doping scheme today (or even then), is quite a stretch.
Volsi
rainydayToday 10:08 am JST
In 2018, similar case
https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1074910/japanese-speed-skater-escapes-ban-after-testing-positive-at-pyeongchang-2018
rainyday
Thank you, I stand corrected on that point.
I note however that unlike Valieva the Japanese skater in that incident was kicked out of the Olympics.
qazwsx
As many top retired figure skaters have said on the Internet, there is no drug that will provide her with the raw skill that she obviously has, but having tested positive, she should definitely not compete.
Most of the blame is being put on her coach Tutberidze, and the adults/ROC machine. Foreign coaches have said if Tutberidze were coaching in their country, she would be arrested for child abuse.
Reminds me of the East German athletes in the past. Of course they knew what they were taking, but they had no choice if they wanted to be on the team. As a 15-year-old in Russia, I really don’t see how she has much power over what happens to her. Sad because she obviously has a lot of talent. Other major figure skaters have said she could be the greatest figure skater of all time. However now she will be forever tainted
Kartal
this is a very clear case, if the situation is compliccated almost nobody can analyse it properly.
Gives some reflexes like an animal but not logical reasoning.
itsonlyrocknroll
The Court of Arbitration for Sport, astonishing inexplicable reinterpretation of The World Anti-Doping Agency anti-doping policies, rules and regulations are responsible for this debacle.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport by its own actions are unfit for purpose.
To allow any competitor failing a drug testing procedure to then take part in competition beggars belief.
It was inevitable that The Court of Arbitration for Sport irresponsible actions would actually turn the whole 2022 Olympic figure skating into a ghastly fascial horror show.
Look, to subject Kamila Valieva to parade in front of what has become a media circus is inflicting the very irreparable long lasting harm they were supposedly trying to avoid. No medal ceremony!!
Can they not see damage inflicted on all the other competitors.
When The Court of Arbitration for Sport inextricably insisted the ban for Russia to compete on the international stage be cut from 4 years to 2 is evidence enough the role of The Court of Arbitration for Sport must be reviewed.
itsonlyrocknroll
Volsi, I going to assume you fully reviewed the link, if not please read again....
Saito accepted on a voluntary basis to be provisionally suspended and to leave the Olympic Village following the positive test.
Kartal
First of all, it is necessary to understand: The issue of doping is never black and white. For example, there are drugs that are normally forbidden to use but can be taken with the approval of a doctor, or there are drugs that are free to use up to a certain dose. Even how the sample is taken is very important. If the sample is not properly sampled, the doped sample may even be considered invalid.
The decision of the IOC is correct. No one should be declared guilty before the case is thoroughly investigated and decided, and protecting a 15-year-old child is the most important thing in this case.
justasking
Whatever she achieve from this point on, will always be clouded in doubt. Best thing that could happen is if she doesn't medal and make mistakes then redeem herself next Olympics with a clean slate.
stickman1760
@Sven Asai you gotta be kidding. These are serious heart medications not supplements you pick up at the local drug store. There is no way a teenager would have access to such heavy duty drugs which are performance enhancing. Shame on the IOC, CAS, ITA, Rusada, ROC for allowing this to happen. The Olympics have truly hit a new low.
Badge213
No medal ceremony and not even a flower ceremony will be conducted if she places in the top 3 on Thursday.
The CAS decision was not a decision on doping but whether or not she could be reinstated to compete.
Any doping decision on medal decision will be given way after the Olympics after an investigation.
Putting the wrong blame, the IOC and ITA didn't want it to happen that's why they appealed to the CAS. The CAS made a decision and all parties agree to follow CAS decision's no matter what the outcome. The issue is people are confused on CAS' decision. The decision to let her compete was not about doping but about due process. Which is why no metal or flower ceremony will happen if she places in the top 3. The whole decision on doping will be decided much later. Only then can we really complain about the process if it comes out she receives the medal if any.
But putting that aside, this is why I hate "sports" that are scored by judges. There were points that Valieva should have been deducted but she wasn't. Sakamoto did a nice clean skate and should of been scored higher. Which is why I think most judging events are a bunch of BS.
stickman1760
The IOC allowed Russians to take part in the Games despite state-sponsored doping in 2014. They share plenty of blame for this.
Numan
The cheater had not just one heart medicine but 3 heart medicines in her system.
All 3 drugs can help bolster endurance and improve circulation. Both effects could give a high-level figure skater a significant competitive advantage.
All three drugs in a young, elite athlete is suspect!!!
garypen
And, yet, the American athlete, Sha'Carri Richardson, was barred from competing last year when a non-performance-enhancing drug was found in her system.
Seems a tad unfair, as Ms Richardson's drug doesn't boost performance in any way. And, Ms. Valieva's drug is a documented performance-enhancing substance.
I wonder what the big difference is between those two athletes that might lead to such disparate decisions?
lostrune2
Looks like there won't be a medal ceremony
Feel bad for the other medal athletes who won't get their Olympic podium spotlight
garypen
I highly recommend everyone watch the documentary, Icarus, on Netflix. (Or, wherever you may find it.) That goes especially for those who defend Russia's international sports programs. There is no way a rational person could defend those cheaters after being made fully aware of their activities, unless they employ the "double-think" of Orwell's 1984.