Ice skater Kamilia Valieva banned from Olympics for four years after 2022 doping scandal

By Alexandria Evans

Two years after the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, the International Olympic Committee announced that the United States Olympic team would win the gold medal in the figure skating team competition after the formal medal ceremony was postponed due to a doping scandal within the winning team.

Russian figure skater, Kamila Valieva came under fire in 2022 after being caught using Trimetazidine, a drug believed to help with endurance during physical activity.

The scandal prevented any team from receiving medals for figure skating during the games. However, Team USA learned of Valieva’s disqualification Monday evening, as well as their subsequent gold medals.

USA figure skating is now awaiting details on a formal medal ceremony, considering they
weren’t able to have one in 2022. The decision on Valieva also impacted the Japanese Olympic team, who will now jump to second place and receive silver medals.

The Russian Olympic Committee was notably furious at the decision, expressing their anger and
implying the case was politicized. Russian authorities attempted to stall the investigation through
a number of trivial appeals and hearings that have been going on since the last Winter Olympics.

Many Russian authorities also believed that Valieva’s age should clear her of any punishment, as
she was 15 at the time of testing positive for the performance enhancing drug. Valieva has also maintained her innocence, stating that she accidentally took her grandfather’s medication, though this statement could not be proven.

Along with being disqualified from the 2022 Winter Olympics, the IOC has imposed a four-year
ban on Valieva, which includes the confiscation of any and all prize money, medals, and any awards credited to her performance. The ban will keep her from competing in the 2026 Winter
Olympics held in Italy.