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
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.