A prominent American journalist commented that the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) decision imposing a four-year disqualification on Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva appeared excessively severe. This view was shared on the social network X, where the observer reflected on the broader fairness of the ruling.
According to the writer, the punishment might be considered too harsh given that the incident involved an athlete who was merely 15 at the time of the alleged wrongdoing. The argument suggested that a forfeiture of results and medals could be paired with a shorter disqualification, noting that the rules offered options such as a warning, a brief suspension, or a more moderate penalty that could have expired by now, allowing a return to competition in a timely fashion.
The author admitted uncertainty about many aspects of the case, including the detailed reasoning behind the CAS decision. There was a wish to see the full text of the ruling to better understand the rationale. Sympathy for Valieva was expressed, contingent on the possibility that she may not have been aware she was receiving a banned substance, an assumption described as unlikely by the writer. It was also suggested that those around the athlete should be examined as part of the broader inquiry.
On January 29, CAS announced the four-year disqualification of Valieva and nullified the team tournament results dating back to December 25, 2021. The development followed the discovery of a positive test for the banned substance trimetazidine, which came to light after Russia had won the team event at the 2022 Olympic Games.
The following day, January 30, the International Skating Union (ISU) confirmed the updated podium for the 2022 Olympic figure skating team event. With Valieva’s results voided, the Russian team dropped from first to third place, while the United States earned gold and Japan secured silver in the revised standings.
As a consequence of the ruling, Valieva stands to lose a number of titles accumulated since December 25, 2021. The list includes the 2022 national champion title in Russia, the 2022 European championship, the Olympic team gold from 2022, the 2023 national jumping title, and medals from the Russian championships in 2023 and 2024. These titles are set to be removed from her record as the sanction takes effect.
In the United States, reactions varied, with some observers expressing strong approval of the decision and others cautioning that the penalties might warrant further nuance in light of the circumstances and the available evidence. The overall tone emphasized the tension between upholding clean sport and ensuring due process for athletes who were young at the time of the alleged actions, a point that continued to fuel debate among fans, officials, and commentators alike. This balance remains a central concern in the ongoing discussion about how to handle doping cases involving young athletes, the responsibilities of coaching staff, and the mechanisms of sports governance, as reflected in broader conversations about fairness and accountability in international competition. (Citation: internal commentary and public records on CAS proceedings and ISU actions.)