Olympic gold medalist Yuna Kim slams reversal of teen figure skater’s suspension over positive drug test

February 16, 2022

After 15-year-old Russian Olympic figure skater Kamila Valieva was permitted to continue competing following a positive drug test, former Olympic figure skater Yuna Kim blasted the decision on Instagram as unfair.

According to Insider, Valieva failed her drug test on Dec. 25 and tested positive for trimetazidine, a heart drug that is often used by athletes as an endurance booster. Fox News also reported that Valieva had tested positive for two other substances: L-carnitine and hypoxen.

The 15-year-old was immediately suspended over her test results; however, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) dismissed the suspension and allowed Valieva to continue competing in the Beijing Games.

According to USA Today, the CAS ruled in favor of Valieva being allowed to continue to compete due to her age, stating that she is a “protected person” in the anti-doping rules because she is not 16 years old yet. The court also determined that the extended period of time it took for Valieva to be made aware of her results was “not her fault.”

Kim, who won gold for South Korea during the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics, posted to Instagram on Monday to voice her disagreement with the decision, saying, “Athlete who violates doping cannot compete in the game. This principle must be observed without exception. All players’ efforts and dreams are equally precious.

Addressing the situation in a less direct manner, U.S. Olympic figure skater Mariah Bell said, “What’s fair is that I’m here and that I did it in a way that I’m very proud,” according to The Washington Post. “I don’t know about anything else. It’s not my business. Obviously, I feel sad for my teammates. It seems wrong to punish people who have done things the right way.”

Valieva’s defense for her positive test results was that there was a mix-up with her grandfather’s heart medication, according to the International Olympic Committee’s chair of disciplinary commission, Denis Oswald, reported Reuters.

Featured Image via Olympics (left), NBC Sports (right)

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