US Olympic Official Claims Credibility of Beijing Games is ‘Teetering on the Edge’ Amid Russian Figure Skater Doping Scandal
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US Olympic official Susanne Lyons is strongly urging the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to address the pending legal matter surrounding the alleged failed drug test of Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva.
According to Lyons, who serves as the chair of the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee Board of Directors, the matter is about more than which country takes home a gold medal; the integrity of the entire 2022 Beijing Olympics is currently at stake.
“Really the whole credibility of the Olympic Movement and the Paralympic Movement stands teetering on the edge of us saying that we really believe and live the values that we say we stand for,” Lyons told Around the Rings.
“It is so important to the athletes of the world that the values of this Movement be upheld, and one of the most important values is integrity of sport,” Lyons added. “And it’s just terribly upsetting to the athletes today to have that wound potentially reopened again.”
Earlier this week, Valieva helped lead the Russian Olympic Athletes to a gold medal in team competition for women’s figure skating. But the 15-year-old skating sensation reportedly tested positive for trimetazidine, a heart medication banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency.
Athletes from Russia are not allowed to use their flag and currently compete as the Russian Olympic Committee after the country received a two-year ban from the World Anti-Doping Agency in 2019 for its state-sponsored doping program.
Tuesday’s medal ceremony for the team skating event was postponed following reports of the failed drug test. The United States won silver, Japan earned bronze, and Canada placed fourth in the competition.
If the ROC figure skating team is disqualified for doping, the United States would win gold. But because Valieva is a minor, the World Anti-Doping Agency considers her to be a “Protected Person,” which means she may only receive a reprimand for the alleged infraction, allowing the ROC team to keep their gold medal.
