“We have already begun preparing the necessary documents”: ROC will challenge the ISU’s decision to deprive Russian skaters of Olympic gold in the team

Following the CAS verdict disqualifying Kamila Valieva for four years for violating anti-doping rules, the figure skating world was awaiting another crucial decision - on the distribution of places in the team tournament of the Beijing Olympics. After all, the athletes who took part in the competition still have not received their medals.

Responsibility in this matter was assigned to the International Skating Union. And the IOC promised to organize awards for the winners and prize-winners as soon as possible.

“The IOC welcomes the fact that the CAS decision brings clarity to this matter so that the athletes competing in the team figure skating event at the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games can finally receive the medals they have been waiting for. The International Olympic Committee can now award medals according to the teams' final standings, which are to be determined by the International Skating Union. The IOC will contact the relevant national Olympic committees to organize a worthy medal ceremony,” TASS quoted a representative of the organization’s press service as saying.

Initially, the ISU meeting was planned to be held on February 7, but in the end everything was decided on Tuesday, January 30. As expected, the union canceled all of Valieva's results starting December 25, 2021. Thus, Anna Shcherbakova became the European champion 2022, Alexandra Trusova rose to second place, and Luna Hendricks took third place.

The Russian figure skating team, in turn, lost gold at the Beijing Olympics. It went to the team from the USA, and silver went to Japan. At the same time, the national team retained third place, one point ahead of Canada. This happened due to the fact that the ISU did not recalculate the results of the women’s competition: they simply subtracted 20 points earned by Valieva from the overall standings. Otherwise, the Canadians would have been higher in the final protocol.

However, domestic experts were dissatisfied with this relatively compromise decision of the International Skating Union. According to Olympic champion Natalya Bestemyanova, there were no medals other than gold for the national team at this tournament.

“Our team at the Olympic Games in Beijing was stronger than others. Now we are not the first, but the third. And this, of course, causes great frustration. In this situation, there can be no petty joy because we were given at least some kind of medal. For our team at the Olympics there could only be one medal - gold. This is a big disappointment, although it is clear that such a decision was expected. Now lawyers must decide whether this ISU decision can be challenged or not,” RIA Novosti quotes a specialist as saying.

The head coach of the Russian figure skating team, Elena Chaikovskaya, also criticized the decision to deprive the national team of gold in the team tournament of the 2022 Games.

“The decision is shameful! Both in the case of Valieva and in the case of medals. The only thing I can say is: shame!” - Sport Express quotes her as saying.

Producer Yana Rudkovskaya, on the contrary, called the bronze medal not the worst outcome in the current realities.

“I’m very sorry guys, very sorry. The big question is which of them will still be able to qualify or, in principle, make it to the 2026 Olympic Games in the conditions of today's realities. A consoling bronze is at least something. They might not have given it,” wrote Evgeni Plushenko’s wife on social networks.

At the same time, the press secretary of the Russian President Dmitry Peskov emphasized that no one plans to review prize payments to figure skaters for the 2022 Olympics.

“Upon returning from China - from the Olympics - we honored these athletes as Olympic champions. We are convinced that for us they will always remain Olympic champions. No matter what decisions are made in this regard, even unfair ones,” Peskov noted.

The Kremlin representative also stated the need to work with the relevant structures to challenge the ISU decision. There are reasons for this, since there has already been a similar precedent in the history of the Olympic Games. American athlete Crystal Cox, who competed for the US team in the 4 x 400 m relay at the Athens Olympics, admitted to using anabolic steroids in 2010. Its results from 2001 to 2004 were annulled, but the team ultimately retained the gold of the Games. True, there is one “but” here: the athlete participated only in qualifying races.

However, all this will now most likely have to be sorted out again by the Court of Arbitration for Sport. As stated by the ROC, the Russian side “will definitely appeal” the ISU decision on the redistribution of places in the team tournament.

“Our lawyers have already begun preparing the necessary documents for filing an appeal. We proceed from the fact that, in accordance with the current, applicable ISU rules, the consequences of a decision on sanctions against an individual athlete, in this case Kamila Valieva, cannot be a basis for reviewing the results of a team tournament. Our legal position is based, among other things, on existing precedents in the practice of CAS,” says a message on the official website of the ROC.

In addition, the Canadian team plans to appeal the verdict, which, judging by the reaction of the NOC after the decision on Valieva, was clearly counting on bronze. However, according to lawyer Anna Antseliovich, in this case it will be difficult for the Canadian side to achieve a positive outcome of the case.

“First you will need to prove your interest. It is clear that these decisions affect them, but not entirely directly. So first they need to overcome this obstacle, and then they need to convince CAS that the ISU decision was wrong and the entire team should be disqualified. To be honest, I don’t think there are many chances here,” Antseliovich said.

However, Canada plans to appeal the decision based on one of the governing body's rules that states that "competitors who complete the competition and are initially ranked lower than the disqualified competitor must move up."

So, it seems that the awarding of the winners of the team tournament of the Beijing Olympics is again postponed indefinitely. And for the IOC, this may not be the worst option, because, according to the current decision of the ISU, Russians will have to be invited to the announced ceremonial events.