It was revealed during the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics that three weeks prior to the games, Kamila Valieva, the 15-year-old Russian figure skater, tested positive for a banned substance. She tested positive for trimetazidine which is a banned heart medication due to its potential to improve endurance and efficiency in the circulatory system. For the sport of figure skating, a drug like trimetazidine could have helped Valieva land her record-setting quadruple jumps throughout a strenuous routine.
Russia has been in the spotlight since the 2014 Winter Olympic doping scandal and cheating scheme in Sochi, Russia. Though the country is serving a multiyear ban from the games, Russian athletes can participate under special permission as long as they test negative for any banned substances.
The Olympic officials and the IOC decided that they would withhold medals from all athletes in any event that Valieva was to place top three in. A panel of arbitrators decided to take this route, rather than suspending Valieva and ending her Olympic run. This decision shocked the world and left many people feeling frustrated by how the IOC handled this situation. Sarah Hirshland, CEO of the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee stated, “we are disappointed by the message this sends. This appears to be another chapter in the systemic and pervasive disregard for clean sport by Russia.”
Americans and others around the world started to recall how the IOC treated the U.S. sprinter, Sha’Carri Richardson, after testing positive for marijuana during the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympic trials. Richardson was favored to medal but was given a 30-day suspension for her positive drug test. Many people took to the internet to share the comparison as Richardson did, noting that the two situations show favoritism towards the Russian athlete, and that race could be involved as Richardson stated on twitter “the only difference I see is I’m a Black young lady.”
Valieva placed fourth in the free skate event, terminating her undefeated season. Her absence on the podium allowed for the medals ceremony to happen, with two Russian athletes placing first and second, and a Japanese athlete taking the bronze. Her allowance to continue competing puts into question the ethics and motives of the IOC and the Russian Olympic Committee. The handling of Valieva’s positive drug test, especially compared to the handling of Richardson’s suspension, could be the basis for change in Olympic standards for future controversy.