BEIJING (AP) — International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach has criticized Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva’s (val-YAY’-vah) entourage for their “tremendous coldness” toward the 15-year-old skater after her mistake-filled free skate at the Beijing Olympics. Bach says it was “chilling” to see on television. Valieva, who has been at the center of a controversy over a positive doping test, finished fourth overall despite placing first in the women’s short program earlier in the week.
Bach says “you could feel this chilling atmosphere, this distance.”
Valieva’s coach and other members of her entourage will be investigated over the teenager’s positive test for a heart medication ahead of the Olympics.
The judges who let Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva continue to compete at the Beijing Olympics blamed anti-doping officials for a “failure to function effectively.” The Court of Arbitration for Sport had explained its verdict in the case that has dominated Olympics headlines for more than a week in a 41-page document. It cited the “untenable delay” at the testing laboratory in Sweden as a reason for letting the 15-year-old Valieva skate in the women’s competition.
Valieva’s positive test for a heart medication was only revealed during the Olympics despite her urine sample arriving at the Stockholm lab on Dec. 29. The lab’s staffing was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
