“It makes sense for the Russian team to compete for Olympic gold in the team event. It’s important when they took Valieva’s sample” – lawyer

It makes sense that the Russian team will compete for gold medals in the team tournament of the 2022 Olympics, because it is important that the figure skater Kamila Valieva underwent a positive doping test not at the Games, but during previous competitions, Anna Antseliovich, head of the sports practice of the legal group Clever Consult, told .

The CAS announced on Monday the registration of four appeals against the ISU decision on the redistribution of medals for the team figure skating tournament at the 2022 Olympic Games: from the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC), from the Russian Federation of Figure Skating (FFKKR), Russian Figure Skaters, and the Canadian Figure Skating Federation.

— Is there a chance that the CAS will review the ISU decision and return the gold to us?

— Although the CAS has received a document indicating the parties’ intention to contest this decision, the parties are required to present, within a certain deadline, a legal position. It is difficult for me to assess the chances on the Russian side, I do not know the positions of the parties. But the recalculation of results is not entirely in accordance with ISU rules, that’s for sure. It will be difficult for the Russian side to reverse this ISU decision; she will have to work hard enough to defend her position.

— Theoretically, does the Russian side have a chance of convincing the CAS that this drug cannot in any way affect the results of the team tournament?

— There are precedents; the American team had a similar case. I note that Valieva’s sample was not taken at the Olympic Games, but earlier. So it makes sense that the Russian side will compete for the gold medals. A lot will depend on the CAS arbitrators who will consider this case,” Antseliovich told .

At the end of January, the CAS suspended Kamila Valieva for four years for violating anti-doping rules. The 17-year-old Russian’s suspension period begins on December 25, 2021, and her results have been canceled since that date. The athlete’s sample contained banned trimetazidine.

The CAS decision led to a review of the results of the team figure skating tournament at the 2022 Games, in which the Russian team won. First place is now awarded to the American team, the Japanese are second, the Russians will receive bronze. The Canadians took fourth place.