ISU Council’s decision on the results of the 2022 Olympics team tournament is based on a comprehensive expert assessment and corresponds to the CAS verdict – press release

The decision of the International Skating Union (ISU) Council regarding the results of the Beijing 2022 Olympic Games team tournament is based on a comprehensive expert assessment and is fully in line with the verdict of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) , the organization said in a statement.

On January 29, the CAS suspended Valieva for four years for violating anti-doping rules. The disqualification period begins on December 25, 2021. The ISU then announced that all of the athlete’s results from the date of sample collection had been voided. This led to a review of the results of the 2022 Olympics team tournament, where the Russian team won. First place is now awarded to the American team, the Japanese are second and the Russians receive bronze.

“The Union would like to express its understanding and appreciation for the patience of the ISU and member federation skaters participating in the team competition at the Beijing 2022 Olympic Games, as well as their families, friends and fans.” They waited two years to have certainty about the final results and the distribution of medals.

The opportunity to win medals in the special circumstances of the Winter Olympics was lost due to an anti-doping rule violation, even though everyone involved was determined to ensure that legitimate medalists were properly recognized. We regret that the moment experienced in Beijing cannot be repeated.

In a CAS decision dated January 29, it was announced that the relevant sports organization, in particular the ISU, was responsible for enforcing the disqualification of Kamila Valieva. We remain committed to ensuring that the applicable rules and principles are correctly followed, that the CAS decision is implemented and that any changes to the results are applied accordingly.

The ISU Council’s decision regarding the implications for the official results of the 2022 Olympic team competition was based on a comprehensive assessment by legal experts. This assessment was in turn based on the applicable rules and principles specific to the team competition and therefore constitutes the only decision consistent with the decision of the CAS jury. Rule 353, paragraph 4 of the ISU Special Regulations does not apply in this case.

In any complex and extraordinary situation like this, the redistribution of points can negatively affect the relative ranking of teams, negatively affecting teams that had nothing to do with the incident in question. Therefore, we must follow the rules and principles. In light of this case, we will further clarify the rules and principles to ensure that similar cases are handled more effectively in the future.

The CAS decision itself is subject to appeal, therefore the ISU will not publicly discuss the matter in further detail at this stage.

The ISU notes with disappointment and concern the possible circumstances in which a minor has committed a serious anti-doping rule violation. The ISU is fully committed to taking all appropriate measures to ensure the protection of all athletes, support their conduct and continue the fight for clean sport and the integrity and fairness of figure skating competitions,” the ISU said in a statement.