The @Olympics Charter in force 17 July 2020:
"An event is a specific competition in a sport resulting in a ranking giving rise to the award of medals and diplomas."
Yet the IOC has decided to have no medal ceremony in the women figure skating event? Athletes deserve better! pic.twitter.com/vWbZeDviVh— Rob Koehler (@RobKoehler2) February 16, 2022
Source:
https://scmp.com/sport/china/article/3167682/winter-olympics-us-figure-skaters-file-legal-challenge-force-ioc-award China
Winter Olympics: US figure skaters file legal challenge to force IOC to award medals before end of Games
- The figure skating mixed team medal ceremony was abandoned by the IOC after Russia’s Kamila Valieva tested positive for a banned substance
- The letter from the Americans says the IOC’s own rules mandate that a medal ceremony must be held at the conclusion of each event
Team USA celebrate on the podium after winning silver in the figure skating mixed team competition. Photo: DPA
Lawyers for the US figure skaters whose Olympic silver medals are being withheld have notified the IOC that they have filed an appeal to have them awarded before the end of the Beijing Games, it has been learned.
In a letter sent to IOC president Thomas Bach on Saturday, a copy of which was obtained by the AP, lawyers said they would ask the Court of Arbitration for Sport for a ruling before Sunday’s closing ceremony.
Kamila Valieva led the Russian team to a victory in last week’s team event, and the US finished second. Soon after, a positive doping test for the 15-year-old skater was disclosed. CAS allowed her to continue skating at the women’s event, but the International Olympic Committee said it would not award medals in any events in which she finished among the top three.
The Russians won the event by a large margin. Japan were third and Canada finished fourth. The letter from the Americans says the IOC’s “own rules mandate that a victory ceremony ‘to present medals to the athletes shall follow the conclusion of each sports event’”,
In a meeting earlier this week with the skaters, Bach offered them Olympic torches as something of a holdover memento while the doping case, which could take months, or even years, plays out.
The lawyers said they hoped the IOC would reconsider but that because of the urgency, they were filing the appeal. US Figure Skating executive director Ramsey Baker sent the AP a statement standing in support of the skaters.
The US team applaud their teammate Nathan Chen (seated left) after he took the lead in the men’s singles short programme of the team event. Photo: EPA-EFE
“Having a medal ceremony at an Olympic Games is not something that can be replicated anywhere else, and they should be celebrated in front of the world before leaving Beijing,” Baker said.
The letter, sent by lawyer Paul Greene, who represents athletes in doping and other cases against Olympic authorities, said Bach had asked the athletes for their input.
“A dignified medal ceremony from our clients’ vantage point is one in the Medals Plaza as originally planned and afforded to all other medallists,” he wrote.
Russia’s 15-year-old Kamila Valieva performs at the Beijing Olympics. Photo: Reuters
After Valieva’s test became public, Russia’s anti-doping agency at first put her on provisional suspension, then lifted the suspension. That triggered the IOC and World Anti-Doping Agency to lead an appeal to CAS, which acted swiftly and said Valieva could still compete.
That did not resolve the larger question about the result from the team competition.
Nine Americans stand to get some sort of medal out of that – either the second-place medal they’re aiming to receive this weekend, or a gold that could become theirs if the Russian’s are disqualified because of Valieva’s doping case.
Because she is 15, Valieva is considered a “protected person” under anti-doping rules, and is not expected to receive a harsh penalty. Her coaches and doctors are being investigated by Russian and world anti-doping authorities.