[Epoch Times, February 09, 2022](The Epoch Times reporter Li Yan comprehensive report) The Russian figure skaters who won the team championship at the Beijing Olympics on Monday (February 7) have been slow to receive their gold medals. Media reports on Wednesday said one of them had tested positive for a drug.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC), the International Skating Union (ISU), the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) and the international body responsible for drug testing during the Games declined to comment on the USA TODAY and Guardian reports.
The media reports did not specify when the drug tests took place or what drugs were detected. Under Olympic rules, taking performance-enhancing drugs is punished differently than recreational drugs.
Following the Russian team’s victory on Monday, the award ceremony was postponed and has yet to take place. Team USA won the silver medal and Team Japan won the bronze medal.
The six Russian athletes who won gold are 15-year-old Kamila Valieva, who achieved the women’s quadruple jump for the first time in the competition and is expected to win gold in the women’s competition later in the Olympics ; male skater Mark Kondratiuk, 18; pair skaters Anastasia Mishina, 20, and Alexander Galyamov, 22. Aleksandr Galliamov); and ice dancers Victoria Sinitsina, 26, and Nikita Katsalapov, 30.
Earlier on Wednesday, the International Olympic Committee said the ceremony had been delayed due to “legal” issues, but said it would eventually take place.
After the news broke, the Russian ice dancer did not show up at the training ground on Wednesday night.
“We have medal-winning athletes involved,” IOC spokesman Mark Adams said Wednesday night. “I can’t give you more details, but we will do our best[to resolve the issue].”
In a statement, the International Skating Union said legal negotiations were ongoing.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said they would wait for an official statement before commenting on the matter.
Due to doping sanctions, Russian athletes compete under the name of the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) rather than representing their home country.
Responsible editor: Lin Yan#