Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva was disqualified from the 2022 Olympics on Monday, almost two years after her doping case caused turmoil at the Beijing Games.
The verdict from the Court of Arbitration for Sport means the Russians are set to be stripped of the gold medal in figure skating’s team event. The United States finished second and is set to be named Olympic champion instead.
The International Olympic Committee decided not to present any medals for the event in Beijing, where the 15-year-old Valieva was the star performer hours before her positive test for a banned heart medicine was revealed.
CAS said it upheld appeals led by the World Anti-Doping Agency, which asked the court to disqualify Valieva from the Olympics and ban her. A Russian sports tribunal had cleared her of any blame.
i will never understand why anyone lets russia compete in anything. they just always lie and cheat.
I mean the US and many other athletes have been caught before cheating this isn’t new. Canada the US, Sweden and, Spain just to name a few.
The issue wasn’t athletes cheating individually. The issue was that Russia had a state sponsored doping program from top to bottom. That is significantly different than one off athletes, or one off coaches.
This is not just some random athletes doing it on their own here and there. There was (still is? Who knows) a Russian government run program to allow for doping and help their athletes evade monitoring from anti doping authorities. Likely at least 580 postive tests across 30 different sports covered up. Team USA doesn’t even get government funding, let alone a government run doping conspiracy.
https://www.bbc.com/sport/36823453
Saying Team USA doesn’t get government funding is inaccurate.
It’s not a holistic nationalized system like many other countries have, but that doesn’t mean Team USA athletes and athletic programs aren’t direct recipients of government financial support.
For example:
Team USA athletes have access to some of the best training facilities and coaching teams in the world, many of which get direct, or indirect government funding e.g. grants, subsidies, tax incentives, etc.
On a side note, that’s a great graphic. I was going to mention the hole in the wall in my other comment, but I was too lazy to go grab a source. Kudos.
You’re right, there are indirect ways they get support. They are not directly funded like in many countries though. That’s not to say they don’t have considerable resources.
https://2021impactreport.teamusa.org/financials-reports-and-disclosures/financials.html#gsc.tab=0
Financial disclosures are even available online.
I was just pointing out other Olympic teams didn’t have the very centralized system of state run organization and funding like Russia had that would allow something like what Russia did to even be possible.
wasn’t the big deal with the Russians that it was at the level of the entire organization rather than done by limited specific individuals?
Why is racism upvoted
Isn’t it more racist to act as if being Russian is a singular racial demographic?
Russia is an empire, a decaying one, but still, it’s full of a wide variety of different racial groups that aren’t Slavic in origin.
Also, when people criticize the actions of the American government, should we all accuse them of being racist towards… Americans?
It’s not.
Russians and doping, name a more iconic duo.
Russians and killing political opponents
Russians and faulty windows.
Touché.
Is the last thing heard when you’re defenstrated by your nearest politburo.
Russians and killing their own citizens
Russians and a lack of ethical morality.
Man I feel bad for her. She was only 15 and probably didn’t have much of a say in the matter. It’s the right call, but still, I do feel for her.
Imagine if she coulda won without potentially risking her health with drugs, too.
She probably had no choice in the matter and trusted her coach and medical team to do the right thing.
Kids in the Olympics is a double edged sword.
Indeed. Shoulda said something like:
Right. Imagine too if she could’ve won even without the drugs she was supplied (by those who may have paid little mind to their potential long-term health impacts on her).
This reminds me of when Trump called a race horse a junkie after winning the Kentucky Derby and being disqualified for a failed drug test. As if the horse was tying off and shooting up in the stable outhouse.
While this child has more agency than a horse, it’s not like she had a choice in the matter.
Is it right for her for be DQ’d? Yes, but she’s still a victim.
Don’t lose sight of the fact that she’s was a child made to take drugs by her own government.
This reminds me of when Trump called a race horse a junkie after winning the Kentucky Derby and being disqualified for a failed drug test.
Wait…
Trump literally compared himself to a racehorse yesterday to show how he has good genes (because his uncle was an MIT professor and apparently the brother of a winning racehorse is just as good as a winning racehorse).
So now even our Kentucky Derby winner, Medina Spirit, is a junky. This is emblematic of what is happening to our Country. The whole world is laughing at us as we go to hell on our Borders, our fake Presidential Election, and everywhere else!
https://web.archive.org/web/20210509170756/https://www.donaldjtrump.com/desk/desk-8pttbep59x/
Ya :( Wonder if skating in the first place was at least a voluntary decision.
As if the horse was tying off and shooting up in the stable outhouse.
This episode of BoJack just got real dark.
It’s definitely for the best so a coach doesn’t do it to another minor.
That took a long fucking time. Opposed to the US sprinter who tested positive for a non-performance enhancing drug (weed) and was giving a suspension just 9 days after initial test results. Keeping her from even going to her games.
This girl had tested positive for performance enhancing drugs and was still allowed to compete. So they could take the next two years to get their shit together. Look I know she was 15 and probably had a choice on where to take them, but that doesn’t justify the wildly different responses.
Spelling
Hmm.
One has slightly higher melanin than the other. Surely, that couldn’t contribute to the difference in results there.
I’m pretty sure it has more to do with the Fact that Russia is known to bribe and Sports Organizations are known to get bribed.
Well weed is not allowed so it should be treated in the same way
But it wasn’t. Sha’Carri Richardson had her suspension handed to her much much faster. Additional Valieva took away the other competitors chance to stand in metal ceremony positions they deserved. That is something that can never be given back.
it should be treated in the same way
So they should have been allowed to compete and then take 2 years to figure it out?
Ban Russia forever. They deserve it.
The only title they are worthy of is “weak” and/or “cheater”.
I see you’ve spawned a heated argument. I know this post is old but I have a different take:
Don’t ban Russia. It’s just athletics, it’s not that big of a deal. All athletes should get the chance to compete even if they live in countries that encourage their cheating. Ban the cheaters and their coaches when they are exposed.
Perhaps ask Russia to pay a fine if they wish to continue to send athletes. This would dissuade them from forcing their young adults/teens to alter their body chemistry.
The Olympics is supposed to be somewhere every country can participate.
The Olympics is supposed to be somewhere every country can participate.
Yes that’s the line the Olympic committee always trot out as well when anybody is ever asking them to make a decision on anything. They always argue that the Olympics is not political, but refusing to take a political stance is itself a political stance.
Continuing to allow Russia to compete even when they cheat constantly (because it is basically all the time it’s not one or two athletes it’s basically everyone they send) is itself saying that cheating is acceptable if you get away with it. It’s like the cost of doing business for Russia.
Isn’t that like racism?
“Russia” is not a race and people of all races world be prevented from representing Russia. You might be looking for “xenophobia”.
I wonder what we’re going to call it when actual aliens show up. Then xenophobia will literally mean fear of aliens, so what will we call fear of foreign nationals?
And racism will literally mean fear of a different race (different to homo sapiens) and will also only apply to aliens. :D
Homo sapiens is the species, not the race. So racism will still mean the same thing as it means now.
English is not my first language but my understanding of the word “race” initially came from fantasy books and games, where “human” is a race, along with “orc” and “elf”. You are of course right about “species”. Though I now wonder what “race” was supposed to mean in this fantasy context, where it’s clearly used to differentiate different species, and yet it’s called “race”.
I don’t know where that comes from, and it’s always bothered me that fantasy and sci fi conflate the two words.
It seems like every young person uses “racism” as synonymous for “discrimination against any group for any reason.”
I’ve given up arguing. Religious fighting = racism. Nations fighting = racism. Musical preferences = definitely racism.
Yes because we are lacking the words with proper impact. But it’s the same kind of hatred based on otherness. The same fascist mechanism based on an mythological identity and believe in inequality. All Russians are and should be banned. We are the good ones. The way the left / progressive / liberals latched on to the warmongering over the war in Ukraine was shocking, instead of discussing (amoral) geopolitical motivations for this conflict and seeking diplomatic compromises it was just described as some good vs evil bullshit. And the fucking “leftist racists” are eating it up. Right here on lemmy. Ban Russia forever lol. I don’t care if Russian is technically not an ethnicity, Slavic people are.
But I’ve given up arguing as well and just made a little shitpost.
No unless you like redefining words to fit your narrative.
Last I checked Russia was a country not a race. Many different races live in Russia so you might want to learn what racism is.
If we banned USA from the Olympics would that also be “racism”?
Technically you are right, but I heard your dog whistle. I should have said that it is fascist: Russia, because of their inherent russianess are evil scum and should be banned forever from competing at the olympics which is mean to bring different people together peacefully.
Because we are the good guys who would never cheat or meddle in foreign elections or invade other countries because they threaten our supremacy.
It’s the exact same mechanism as racism, a fascist believe in the superiority of us against an inherently evil other.
As an Estonian I’ll say what you’re looking to hear loud and clear “Fuck the Russians”. Have a great night.
Yeah fuck Russia. But a diplomatic end to the war now.
Nah just fuck Russia. They can literally give all the land back and pay reparations to all the families they destroyed in Ukraine.
Imagine winning the gold medal two years after you lost it. Imagine trying to explain the celebration party to people and them not caring or believing you.
I imagine that does undercut the excitement on some level.
Like, it’s an amazing achievement nonetheless, but like… the wind’s already gone. Sail’s empty.
Should have happened during the Olympics, but the IOC gave the Russians the win.
Yeah, like you don’t get that moment back, standing on the podium while your national anthem plays.
I feel really bad for this girl. Disqualifying her was the right move, but I highly doubt a fifteen-year-old representing Russia in the Olympics was given much choice as to whether she wanted to use performance enhancers or not. On top of that, she got four year ban from professional skating, which basically robbed her of her peak professional years. Her career was basically destroyed by something that was, best case senerio, a mistake she made at fifteen or, wost (and more likely) case, something that was forced on her by her trainers/managers.
Wow this is the first time ever I’ve heard of Russia cheating on something because they couldn’t win from skill alone.
/S
Boycott these worthless games.
I strongly disagree. The Olympics are one of the best things humanity does. Are the people running it corrupt scum? Pretty much. But the Olympics are one of the only times the whole world comes together to at least attempt to do something positive.
Also, have you ever watched the 49 kg (108 lb) women’s weightlifting competition? They look like ants lifting multiple times their body weight. It’s fucking awesome.
I’d rather not reward the IOC with my patronage and eyeballs viewing the blatant consumerism and capitalistic nature of what should be a wonderful event. The IOC takes home billions and the athletes get nothing.
Sorry, I vote with my wallet and my principles.
I don’t think either of you is wrong. One of you is talking about the concept of the Olympics and the other the IOC.
Guess who runs the Olympics?
Just because the organizers suck doesn’t mean the concept of a global competition that pushes the limits of what humans can achieve is a bad idea
That’s not what was said though. They didn’t talk about the concept, they spoke about the Olympics. They straight out said:
The Olympics are one of the best things humanity does. … the Olympics are one of the only times the whole world comes together to at least attempt to do something positive.
Which is objectively untrue. It is not a global positivity exercise; it is not the world “coming together”. That’s just their marketing bullshit.
It is just a business that profits off people without compensating them.
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A Russian caught doping? At the Olympics??
They really need to step up their game, everyone else knows how not to get caught.
Man, all these world class athletes from Russia have these horrible heart conditions at such young ages!
Must be something in the water…
If you play any game with ruskies you learn this: ruskies always cheating, stealing, scamming.
Fuck the Olympics, but this is hilarious
Fuck Russia, this is not hilarious
What are you, mad on behalf of the IOC? Is that what this is, you’re white knighting an organisation that bankrupts cities?
Shitty humans are bankrupting cities mate. IOC, Russia, all the same IMO. But, Here, in this post, the issue is Russia (well, more precisely, their leaders). Hence the: FUCK RUSSIA!!!
all the same
There it is
Just another dirty Russian cheater, second only to china’s culture of cheating/theft.
This poor girl was undoubtedly forced into taking the meds, ruining her future.
