The silver medalist from the 2018 Olympic team competition, Alexander Enbert, weighed in on the International Skating Union’s move to strip Russia of the 2022 Olympic team gold after Kamila Valieva’s disqualification and to reallocate medals, placing Russian athletes with bronze. In an interview with socialbites.ca, Enbert admitted the outcome could have been harsher, yet he found the decision frustrating and insulting in its own way.
Enbert explained that team events in figure skating don’t adhere to the same rigid rules seen in some other sports. The framework for the team competition isn’t as clearly defined as it is in football or hockey. While Valieva’s case helped shape the verdict, Enbert believed Russia still avoided the absolute worst result in keeping Olympic medals in this format. He remained disappointed, feeling his fellow Russians delivered their best performances at those Games and that the final standings did not truly reflect their level of achievement.
On January 30, 2024, the ISU removed the 2022 team gold from Russia after the Court of Arbitration for Sport determined that Kamila Valieva had breached anti-doping rules the day before. The CAS ruling led to a four-year ban for Valieva. Medals were redistributed, with the United States earning gold, Japan silver, and Russia bronze in the team event.
The decision surrounding the Valieva case appeared to satisfy the ISU and the World Anti-Doping Agency. The initial ruling and subsequent revisions sparked heated discussion among athletes, fans, and national federations, underscoring the tension between strict anti-doping enforcement and recognizing teams that delivered strong performances on the global stage.
Ultimately, the case illustrates how doping sanctions can reshape Olympic storytelling. It shows that fairness in competition remains a central priority for governing bodies, even when results shift years after the fact. For fans following North American figure skating—alongside broader audiences—the changes served as a reminder that medal glory in team events can hinge on how rules are interpreted and on the outcomes of independent investigations, not solely on on-ice performances. The broader implication is clear: governing bodies intend to uphold integrity within the sport, even when that means reframing what fans have long celebrated as Olympic history.