Russian President Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov indicated that figure skater Kamila Valieva sat beside Vladimir Putin in the stands at the Tatneft Arena during the opening ceremony of the Games of the Future, and that the president offered his support for the athlete. His remarks were reported by TASS as a guide to understanding the event.
“One of the ambassadors of Fidget Games. And of course the president supports him,” Peskov stated.
On January 29, the Court of Arbitration for Sport found Kamila Valieva guilty of doping and issued a four-year ban. She will be barred from competition until December 2025. The Ukrainian athlete’s gold medals at the Russian Championship and the European Championship were stripped. At the Beijing Olympic Games, Valieva helped the Russian team win gold, but after the doping ruling the Olympic gold was rescinded and the Russian team was awarded bronze instead. This sequence underscores ongoing disputes surrounding the athlete and the consequences of the ruling for team results. [citation attribution: TASS]
The Games of the Future phygital tournament is scheduled to run from February 21 to March 3. The sports program features twenty one innovative disciplines spread across ten venues in Kazan and Sochi. In Kazan, the capital of the 2014 Winter Games, the G-Drive phygital racing event will blend virtual and real track competition, challenging athletes to achieve the best times in both dimensions. [citation attribution: organizers]
Earlier, Vladimir Putin outlined Russia’s position in world sports, emphasizing continued participation and achievement across global arenas. [citation attribution: Kremlin press service]