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Kamila Valieva: Canada to appeal against decision to award Russia figure skating team bronze
Image source, Getty Images
Skate Canada is to appeal against the decision to award the Russian Olympic Committee figure skating team bronze from the 2022 Winter Olympics despite Kamila Valieva's disqualification.
Russia were relegated from gold to bronze by the International Skating Union (ISU) after Valieva, 17, was given a four-year ban for doping in January.
Despite the removal of Valieva's marks, the ISU said Russia's total score at the Beijing Games was a point higher than fourth-place Canada's.
The United States were promoted to gold with Japan being awarded silver.
"Our appeal is rooted in a commitment to fairness, transparency, and the integrity of the sport," Skate Canada said.
"Skate Canada believes that it is crucial for the integrity of competitive figure skating that rules and regulations are upheld consistently and fairly.
"While we respect the decisions made by the ISU, we disagree with the conclusion they have reached and believe that an independent review will provide much needed clarity for all impacted parties.
"While we pursue this appeal, we want to express our full support and admiration for the gold and silver medallists from the United States of America and Japan.
"Their hard work, dedication, and exceptional performances deserve to be recognised, and we sincerely hope that they receive their well-deserved medals in a timely manner.
"We appreciate the support of the skating community as we pursue this matter further."
Valieva, then aged 15, tested positive for banned heart medication trimetazidine in December 2021, but news of her failed test only emerged after she had competed at the Beijing Olympics.
There, she emerged as a global star by becoming the first female skater to land a quadruple jump and winning team figure skating gold.
She had initially been cleared by a Russian Anti-Doping Agency (Rusada) investigation but in January, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas) upheld an appeal by the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada).
Her ban was backdated to 25 December 2021 - the date Valieva took the failed test - and the Cas panel also ordered "the disqualification all competitive results achieved" from that date.
In awarding Russia bronze, Skate Canada previously said the ISU had not applied its own Rule 353, which states that "competitors having finished the competition and who initially placed lower than the disqualified competitor will move up accordingly in their placement".