Anton Sikharulidze, vice president of the Russian Figure Skating Federation (FFKKR), champion of the 2002 Olympic Games, urged not to fantasize about the Kamila Valieva case and to wait for official statements. His words guide the way TASS.
“We have to understand that something like this is happening around an underage athlete, a girl, which is 99 percent someone’s fantasy. In my understanding, this is extreme. As a society, we need to support Kamila in a difficult time,” said Sikharulidze.
On January 29, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) found Valieva guilty of doping and disqualified the athlete for four years. He will not be able to compete in tournaments until December 2025.
On February 7, CAS published its reasoning. The Russian side claimed that the banned substance entered Valieva’s body as a result of eating the dessert prepared by her grandfather. The figure skater was deprived of gold medals at the Russian Championship and the European Championship. At the Olympic Games in Beijing, Valieva won the gold medal as part of the Russian team, and after her disqualification, this medal was also withdrawn and the Russian team was awarded the bronze medal.
Fans previously at Spartakiad sent Banner supporting Valieva.