Adam Rippon comes to defense of embattled Russian figure skating star Kamila Valieva
Adam Rippon, a bronze medalist with Team USA at the 2018 PyeongChang Games, is standing in defense of Russian figure skating sensation Kamila Valieva after the International Testing Agency confirmed she failed a drug test.
Valieva, 15, the overwhelming favorite to win gold in the women's event at the 2022 Beijing Olympics, did test positive for a banned substance, the ITA said on Friday. There had been reports of a positive test throughout the week after the medal ceremony for the team event, in which Russia took gold, was pushed back. Her status for the individual event is in doubt as is the country's first-place finish.
Rippon calls out IOC, ROC in doping scandal
Rippon, whose medal came in the team figure skating event, shared his comments to Twitter and took screenshots of them for Instagram. He took direct aim at the adults who put Valieva in the situation and the International Olympic Committee for muddling up its punishment of Russia for previous doping violations.
The IOC’s ban on Russia’s participation in the Olympics was NOT strict enough. I believe that the ROC athletes are doing what they’re told in an effort to please their coaches and federation. I blame those in charge. Flops.
— Adam Rippon (@AdamRippon) February 11, 2022
"This entire situation is heartbreaking. This young girl is just 15. She's a minor. The adults around her have completely failed her. They've put her in this awful situation and should be punished.
"The IOC's ban on Russia's participation in the Olympics was NOT strict enough. I believe that the ROC (Russian Olympic Committee) athletes are doing what they're told in an effort to please their coaches and federation. I blame those in charge. Flops.
"A positive test is a positive test. Testing negative now doesn't negate the fact that there were performance enhancing drugs involved in the process. It's a f***ing shame. It didn't need to come to this. SHE IS A CHILD. They put her sport performance ahead of her health and well-being. F*** them. They've ruined this Olympic experience for HER and for EVERYONE here.
"The ROC has miserably failed its athletes and embarrassed themselves on the world stage YET AGAIN. My heart breaks for the Russian athletes competing in Beijing who will have everything they do at this Olympics questioned.
"The world wants to celebrate the success of those who push the sport to new levels. We can't do that when some repeatedly refuse to play fair."
Russian officials appealed Valieva's temporary suspension, allowing her to practice, and the IOC has appealed back. The case will be heard by the Court of Arbitration for Sport, which is on-site in Beijing.
Valieva's positive drug test
The test is from Dec. 25, 2021, during the Russian Figure Skating Championships in St. Petersburg, and it was positive for trimetazidine, a drug generally used for heart patients that can aid athletic performance by improving blood flow and increasing stamina. The ROC stood by its athlete and defended the situation in a statement. It said drug tests in between then and the Olympics were clean, appearing to argue the failed test should not apply.
"Given that the athlete's positive doping test was not taken during the Olympic Games, the results of the athlete and the results of the team tournament during the Olympic Games are not subject to automatic review," the ROC said in a statement.
Since Valieva is under the age of 16, she is viewed by the World Anti-Doping Agency as a "Protected Person," which complicates the situation. She could avoid suspension because WADA could rule under that qualification that she is too young and naive to know what substances she was given.
Russia's place at Olympics
The week-long scandal has put Russia and its previous doping scandal solidly back in the conversation. The IOC sanctioned the country for its wide-spread and successful performance-enhancing drug operation at the 2014 Sochi Olympics by banning the country in 2019 for four years. That ban covered the next three Games, including at Beijing.
But it ruled that athletes from Russia not linked to the scheme were allowed to compete as neutral competitors. Hence why "Russia" is not on the medal list, but the "Russian Olympic Committee" is there instead.
Valieva is one of the brightest stars in figure skating even though she made her senior debut on Oct. 7, 2021. She has won every event she's entered and set nine world records, including the three highest scores ever tallied. In her Olympic debut on Monday, she became the first woman to land a quad at the Games and can land three with ease in a single program.