CAS registered four appeals to review the results of the team tournament. Three – from Russia.
After the completion of the Kamila Valieva case, which was put to rest by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), Russia was deprived of Olympic gold in the team figure skating tournament. The victory passed to the Americans, and it seemed that this was the end of the whole story, but nothing had been finally decided yet.
Russian figure skaters still have a chance to return gold.
Revision of results
CAS disqualified Kamila Valieva for four years, and the International Skating Union (ISU) decided that this was a reason to reconsider the results of the Olympic team figure skating tournament. Contrary to existing precedents in the world of sports and in the absence of clear rules that would allow a team with a disqualified participant to be deprived of points, the International Skating Union handed over the Russian gold to the Americans. The silver was given to the Japanese, and our athletes were left with bronze.
The United States and Japan were satisfied with the changes, but predictably, they were also dissatisfied. Among them, the loudest indignation was from representatives of Canada, who believe that our athletes do not deserve bronze, and third place should go to them. CAS registered an appeal by the Canadian Figure Skating Federation. This, of course, doesn’t mean anything, but there is a risk that our skaters will be left without medals at all. With its latest decisions, the Court of Arbitration for Sport has undermined faith in its impartiality, so fans can mentally prepare for the worst.
However, there is a theoretical possibility that the Russians will not only retain the medals, but also return the gold. The Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) and the Russian Figure Skating Federation (FFKKR) also appealed to CAS with the intention of reconsidering the ISU verdict. Another appeal was filed by the athletes themselves who participated in the 2022 Games, including Alexander Gallyamov, Nikita Katsalapov, Mark Kondratyuk, Anastasia Mishina, Victoria Sinitsina and Kamila Valieva.
“Wait in the wings”
Whether at least one appeal by Russian representatives has a high chance of success, opinions vary. Critics believe that nothing good can be expected from CAS, but there are also supporters of the idea of fighting for justice to the very end.
“We don’t do anything ourselves.” This means that someone gave them the idea. This means that the skaters think this is correct. This will not lead to the return of gold. I reason logically: if Kamila is in the wrong place, then the number of points is only for bronze. All. But Kamila’s case is already over, so why file it? – Honored Coach of the USSR Tatyana Tarasova told Match TV.
— The recalculation of results does not entirely comply with ISU rules, that’s for sure. It will be difficult for the Russian side to change this ISU decision; they will have to work hard enough to defend their position. There are previous precedents; the American team had a similar case. I note that the sample was taken from Valieva not at the Olympic Games, but earlier. Therefore, it makes sense for the Russian side to compete for gold medals,” Match TV quotes Anna Antseliovich, head of the sports practice of the legal group Clever Consult.
Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) / Photo: © DeFodi Images / Contributor / DeFodi Images / Gettyimages.ru
— If we had not filed an appeal, we would have agreed with the ISU decision. But by filing three appeals, we show that we will fight, because they also want to take away the bronze medal from us. These appeals are an indicator that we still claim first place. Such cases have already happened, the Americans are an example of this, and the IOC was in favor of leaving the medals,” Match TV quotes State Duma deputy Svetlana Zhurova as saying.
A few weeks earlier, two-time Olympic biathlon champion Dmitry Vasiliev spoke on the same topic. While maintaining a pessimistic attitude about the prospects of the current proceedings, the titled athlete is confident that the fight in all instances is a foundation for the future.
Dmitry Vasiliev / Photo: © Denis Bushkovsky / Match TV
– No, this, of course, will not have any effect, but the procedure must be completed without fail. So that they don’t tell us later that you didn’t even try to get through, there were chances to beat the matter in your favor. And then there will still come a period when it will be necessary to negotiate. We must lay out all these arguments: how many, how and whom they unfairly tried, where they violated the laws in order to sue them. They won’t like it. In general, you need to go through all the stages and wait in the wings,” Vasiliev told RIA Novosti Sport.
In any case, the mood of the Russian side allows us to safely say that nothing is finished yet. There are chances to compete for gold in the near future, and if nothing works out now, then there is always hope for justice to be restored in the future.
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2024-02-26 20:03:02
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