This year's WinterGames were anything but joyful if you’re 15 year old Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva. She didn’t take home a medal but she may have exposed a state sanctioned doping scandal of the Russian Olympic Committee.
Kamila Valieva should NOT have been allowed to compete in the Olympic Games. After receiving a positive drug test result, the 15-year-old figure skater was at the center of the newest Olympic doping scandal courtesy of Russia. Valieva’s test was positive for a banned heart medication that increases blood flow to the heart and may enhance athletic performance. She also tested for two additional heart medications that are currently permitted. After a deep investigation and a whirlwind of drama, the International Olympic Committee cleared Valieva to compete with seemingly the only sanction or punishment being the cancellation of a medal ceremony if she were to place in the top 3; which she ultimately failed to do.
Similarly and infamously, in the 2020 summer Olympics, American track superstar Sha’Carri Richardson was disqualified from competing due to a failed drug test. Richardson tested positive for marijuana (not even close to a performance enhancing drug) and was ruled ineligible in the games. On the surface these two incidents seem alarmingly similar and equally as confusing. Some are arguing that race is the main player here since Richardson is a black athlete, others speculate that it has something to do with the longstanding dominance of the Russians in the winter games. I think that it boils down to accountability.
The United States Anti-Doping Agency held Richardson accountable for her actions regardless of the consequences, justified or not. On the other hand, the actions of The Russian Anti-Doping Agency did everything but hold this athlete accountable. The US knowingly made this decision to sanction Richardson, likely forfeiting a medal, while Russia made every excuse in the book as to why this athlete should still be able to compete and have the opportunity to bring some extra hardware back to their country. The World Anti-Doping Agency is supposed to hold all countries and athletes to the same standard when it comes to banned substances and drug tests but it’s clear there is some kind of disconnect.
Russia and Russian athletes are not strangers to the dramatics every Olympic cycle, usually having at least one athlete caught in the crossfire of the media when a positive drug test gets out. Russia has gotten away with this behavior for far too long. Athletes and situations like Kamila Valieva have cast a shadow of criticism and dishonesty upon the Olympic Games. The fact that Valieva was ruled eligible to compete was an insult to the honor it should be to represent your country on the world’s biggest stage in your sport. The adults and figures of authority had an obligation to prevent this 15-year-old athlete from falling into the power-hungry and manipulative hands of those who cheat the system in order to win. We have seen this time and time again from Russia, now the Russian Olympic Committee and my question is, where do we draw the line to hold them accountable?
How convenient that Valieva’s positive result only appeared AFTER she had won a gold medal in the team figure skating event. That her coaches and others in power immediately jumped to the defense that the young athlete had “accidentally” or “mistakenly” taken the banned substances, that this test result came out 2 months after the sample was taken. I think this was intentional and nothing short of a slap in the face to Olympic athletes who “do it the right way”. Allowing this skater to compete severely diminishes the integrity of the games and enables organizations and athletes to cheat the system and avoid accountability.
Valieva’s young age does understandably offer her a blanket of protections that other athletes may not have, but this does not account for the adults around her who should have prevented this from ever occurring (it doesn’t give her a get out of jail free card in my eyes either). The pressure that this teenage athlete faced at this level is indescribable. Add a doping scandal, a worldwide pandemic, and now add the fact that Valieva was a shoe-in to win the gold and she ended up not even placing. The emotional turmoil that she went through will stay with her forever.
I have never seen a sight in sports quite like the desperate and emotional scene that occurred at the women’s skating event after the final podium was declared. This should have never happened. This CHILD should never have been put in this position. It’s clear that something needs to be done to set a precedent on an International level to hold all athletes, coaches and organizations to the same level of accountability, no matter what. I hope for the sake of the immense prestige of the Olympic games, it’s figured out fast.
