Attorneys for the U.S. figure skaters who won silver in the team event have notified the International Olympic Committee that they have filed an appeal to have the medals awarded before the end of the Beijing Games, The Associated Press has learned.
The medal ceremony has been delayed because of the controversy surrounding Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva, who helped Russia win gold in the team event. She failed a pre-Olympics drug test, but the result wasn’t revealed until after the team competition.
AP obtained a copy of a letter sent to IOC president Thomas Bach Saturday in which attorneys said they would ask the Court of Arbitration for Sport for a ruling before Sunday’s Closing Ceremony.
The IOC medals would not be awarded for the team event while it awaits a further investigation on Valieva. Canada finished fourth in the event — after which word broke that Valieva had tested positive for a banned heart medication during a test in December.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled the 15-year-old Valieva could still compete in the women’s event after the test results came out — saying it could cause “irreparable harm” if she was not allowed to skate.
Valieva, the heavy favourite, had a disastrous free skate and finished fourth.
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IOC president Thomas Bach criticized Valieva’s entourage for their “tremendous coldness” toward the skater after her mistake-filled free skate at the Beijing.
Bach said it was “chilling” to see on television.
The IOC president did not name Valieva’s coach, Eteri Tutberidze, who was seen on camera telling a visibly upset Valieva “Why did you let it go? Why did you stop fighting?”
Tutberidze and other members of Valieva’s entourage will be investigated.
Bach says the pressure on Valieva was “beyond my imagination.”
Dmitry Chernyshenko, Russia’s deputy prime minister, told insidethegames that Bach’s comments were “inappropriate and wrong.”
“We are deeply disappointed to see an IOC president weave his own fictional narrative on the feelings of our athletes, and then present these publicly as the voice of the IOC,” he said.
