A definitive decision was made on Monday by an international sports tribunal in Switzerland, almost two years after the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, stating that Russian figure skating sensation Kamila Valieva “committed an anti-doping rule breach. According to a decision by the Court for Arbitration of Sport (CAS), Valieva will be barred from competing internationally until December 2025.

In a statement, CAS stated that trimetazidine was discovered to be present in the sample taken from Ms. Valieva on December 25, 2021, at the Russian National Championships in St. Petersburg. Additionally, starting in December 2021, the results “disqualify” Valieva from competing in any event, including the 2022 Winter Games.

Although the action makes it possible to eventually award the last medals from the Winter Games, it casts a shadow on one of the most watched sports. Since 2014, Russia has manipulated every Olympic competition, according to Travis Tygart, the director of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency and an opponent of Russia’s well-established doping scandal in sports.

“I believe a great deal of sympathy is necessary. This girl, who is fifteen years old, participated in the [Russian doping] programme. Who are you blaming?” In a sharply worded statement, the World Anti-Doping Agency also demanded complete accountability from Russian coaches, medics, and sports administrators. It is inexcusable to dope youngsters,” the group declared in a statement. “WADA encourages countries to take the lead in enacting laws that criminalise the doping of kids, as several have already done.”

Now that Valieva is out of the picture and her incredible exploits have been disqualified, it is up to the International Skating Union to decide who should win which gold in the team skating competition in Beijing. It indicated that on Tuesday, it will release a statement.

The much-coveted gold medal is finally within reach for Team USA.

In the team competition, Japan and the United States came in second and third, respectively, after Russia. Canada came in fourth place. The action ought to make it possible for the United States to win the gold medal.

Figure skater Madison Hubbell, who competed for the United States in Beijing, said the decision was good for her, her colleagues, and her sport. You may end up winning an Olympic gold medal, which is an amazing accomplishment, Hubbell said on Monday on NPR. However, our entire crew was really eager to see justice served. The first child Hubbell is expecting this year, she is currently a skating instructor, and she described the delayed praise her team received as bittersweet.

“The fact that I can celebrate with my kid will make it special. The crew will be back together, and it will be something remarkable. American authorities expressed optimism that American athletes will be acknowledged for their seeming victory at last.

Head of the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee Sarah Hirshland sent a statement to NPR that read, “Today is a day we have been eagerly waiting for two years, as it is a significant win not only for Team USA athletes but also for athletes worldwide who practise fair play and advocate for clean sport.

Hirshland recognised the list of American figure skaters Evan Bates, Karen Chen, Nathan Chen, Madison Chock, Zachary Donohue, Brandon Frazier, Madison Hubbell, Alexa Knierim, and Vincent Zhou that were involved in the Valieva scandal. She declared, “Their incredible accomplishments in Beijing will always represent their dedication to fair competition.

Russia is still at the heart of the global sports scandal.

In addition, Tygart called this ruling a triumph for clean sport and expressed the hope that it would prompt stricter enforcement of anti-doping regulations to curtail any misconduct by Russian athletes.

They don’t follow the regulations as they are right now. Athletes like Valieva have been let down by the system, which still permits [Russia] to control the biggest events in the globe. The issue concerned Russian figure skater Valieva, a rising talent who was permitted to compete in Beijing despite having tested positive for the use of a prohibited performance-enhancing substance before to the Games.

The controversy has caused collateral harm to dozens of other sportsmen worldwide. The International Olympic Committee decided not to give out medals for the team figure skating competition while the situation was being investigated. We were dressed in our ceremonial attire, in a room ready to to ride a bus to the site and we were informed, this is cancelled,” remembered Zach Donohue, a member of the U.S. figure skating team, in an interview with NPR last year.

Athletes from Canada, Japan, Russia, and the United States waited to find out if the Russian team would be disqualified in the end as the cumbersome bureaucratic procedure moved slowly ahead with lengthy intervals between sessions. There have been rumours that the figure skaters’ awards presentation may take place at the Summer Games in Paris later this year. The Valieva incident brought Russian sports scandals to light. The lengthy history of doping in Russia’s sports programmes, which experts claim has distorted outcomes in international contests and placed young athletes at danger, came to light again with this case.

This CAS judgement also occurred only a few days after Russia’s appeal of an IOC order that prohibited Russian athletes from representing their nation at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris was reviewed by the same sports tribunal. It is anticipated that Russians would be permitted to compete, but only as neutral athletes that is, without flying the flag, performing the national anthem, or dressing in official Russian sporting gear.

Days after the Beijing Games concluded, Russian officials sought to forcibly absorb sports teams based in occupied regions, including Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk, and Zaporizhzhia. Following this, the IOC imposed the limits. The IOC said in its October 2023 decision that the Russian Olympic Committee was no longer eligible to function as a national Olympic committee as that term is defined in the Olympic charter and that it was not eligible to receive any financing from the Olympic movement. When exactly CAS will rule on the matter in its whole is unknown.