- Team USA to receive Olympic gold medal for team skating event at the 2022 Beijing Winter Games following Russian skater Kamila Valieva’s ban for using a banned substance.
- Valieva’s ban, which lasts until 2025, resulted in the revocation of her awards earned since late 2021.
- US Figure Skating Team athletes who participated in the event will now be awarded the gold medal, making history as the first American Olympic figure skating team to win gold.
Additional Coverage:
Team USA has announced that they will be receiving an Olympic gold medal for a team skating event that took place two years ago at the Winter Games in Beijing. This decision comes after Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva received a four-year ban for using a banned substance. Valieva’s ban, which began in December 2021 when she failed a drug test prior to the Olympics, will last until 2025 and she will be stripped of any awards she earned since late 2021.
The news of Valieva’s ban was shared by Team USA on social media on Monday night after the Court of Arbitration for Sport made the announcement. Along with the ban, Valieva’s awards from late 2021 onwards will also be revoked. The U.S. Figure Skating Team athletes who participated in the team event at the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022 will now be awarded the gold medal. Team USA shared their excitement on social media, congratulating Evan Bates, Karen Chen, Nathan Chen, Madison Chock, Zachary Donohue, Brandon Frazier, Madison Hubbell, Alexa Knierim, and Vincent Zhou on their achievement.
Valieva had tested positive for the banned substance trimetazidine, but she was allowed to compete in the Beijing Games while the investigation took place. She helped the Russian Olympic Committee win gold in the team event, but no formal podium ceremony was held to present the team with their medal, as announced by the International Olympic Committee. The U.S. earned silver in the same event, while Japan received bronze.
In response to Valieva’s suspension, the U.S. Olympics and Paralympics Committee released a statement expressing their satisfaction with the decision. They commended the Team USA athletes for their performance during the 2022 games and stated that they eagerly awaited this outcome for the past two years. The committee anticipates the day when they can fully celebrate these athletes alongside their peers from around the world, calling it a testament to the justice and recognition they truly deserve.
Later that day, it was officially confirmed that Evan Bates, Karen Chen, Nathan Chen, Madison Chock, Zachary Donohue, Brandon Frazier, Madison Hubbell, Alexa Knierim, and Vincent Zhou became the first-ever U.S. Olympic figure skating team to win gold in the history of the games according to Team USA.