Kamila Valieva allowed to compete

Russia is notorious for producing young female skaters who are an absolute sensation for a year or so and then disappear without trace. That poor child has been absolutely broken and allowing her to skate has been worse than if she had been suspended. According to the rules it doesn’t matter whether whatever was in her system was there accidentally or not but Russia seems to get away with murder.

And now we hear that Chijindu Ujah faces being stripped of his Tokyo silver medal, ( happened last year but was just on the radio now), and possibly the whole 4x4 team losing their medals for a his doping offence. I’m not disputing that, but one rule for 1 team and another for Russia?

It was utterly appalling. That child will never recover from that.

Her instructors rather than comforting her, in fact berated her.

She has been used and abused.

I watched this as I ate my breakfast this morning . Tears in my porridge - poor wee girl .

I think they shouldn’t allow people under a certain age to compete. It is a form of abuse. When I said that to DH he said that Christopher Dean had said the same thing earlier in the afternoon but I don’t know if he mentioned a specific age.

I agreed with Robin Cousins when he said he just wanted to take her away from it all. How did it take so long to get that test result? And having got the result why didn't they stop then, we'd already seen how brilliant she was, we could have looked forward to seeing her in the future. Heaven knows what future she'll have now. They'll probably drop her and bring out another girl.

I look at my two 15 year old granddaughters and know how heartbroken they’d be if they’d worked so hard and then fallen over. My heart goes out to this young and vulnerable girl who has been used and abused.
The powers that be in Russia are a disgrace.

varian

I do wonder whether Kamila was instructed to fall over enough times to come fourth and not be in line for a medal.

I did wonder that as well. Otherwise there would have been no medal ceremony for any of the Russians. Who knows what ‘advice’ she was given.
The first couple of tumbles looked quite simple, but I think her nerves got to her later on. I hope she didn’t hurt herself.
She should have been made/allowed to go home.

I do wonder whether Kamila was instructed to fall over enough times to come fourth and not be in line for a medal.

Yes she should have gone home. Re the other Russians - I don't trust any of them to be drug free. They should never have been allowed to compete.

Very sad to see, it looked as if the pressure got to her, fell a few times and very emotional. V. young, surely given the controversy they could have let her go home, she'll only be 19 mext time around.

Valieva finishes 4th. May mean fewer investigations into the rest of the Russian team.

With all the skill that's required for speed and complexity of her routines, I'd have thought that any drug would be potentially dangerous.

Galaxy

How can they do this to a child.

Yes indeed. It’s abuse in my opinion.

How can they do this to a child.

Galaxy

They are now saying she tested positive for three substances.

And that her grandfather hasn't had the particular drug in question prescribed.

Kamila should be banned from this Olympics,

She will only be 19 when the next winter Olympics take place and if she, and the rest of the Russian team, stay drug free till then, she could have another chance at honestly competing for a medal.

The whole situation stinks. The Russian team should have been banned end of. This ridiculous made up name for them makes a mockery of the whole games.
That girl is an amazing skater but how much is natural is under question. The extra boost of those drugs makes so much energy available to her that isn't to the other competitors. It's a real shame for her. She's young to deal with all this and God knows what state her joints will be in by the time she's 20.

They are now saying she tested positive for three substances.

Mollygo

Not disputing her undoubted talent, would a banned drug help in the enormous effort required for doing quad jumps? What drugs do they give granddads in Russia?

She tested positive for traces of a heart drug.

International Testing Agency (ITA) confirming that she tested positive for the banned substance trimetazidine on Christmas Day

Trimetazidine, known as TMZ, is a drug used to treat angina and other heart-related conditions. It works by increasing blood flow to the heart and limiting rapid swings in blood pressure. ... This is illegal for athletes to use both in and out of competition as it can increase blood flow efficiency and improve endurance

I would think it is quite dangerous for a healthy 15 year old to use knowingly.

Not disputing her undoubted talent, would a banned drug help in the enormous effort required for doing quad jumps? What drugs do they give granddads in Russia?

Absolutely GrannyGravy. I don’t really understand why this was allowed.

Russian athletes are competing under ROC, the Russian Olympic Committee.

Russia has been banned from the Winter Olympics as they were the summer Olympics in Japan. They are competing under a made up name/organisation.

They are flouting Olympic rules by being/competing in China.

Makes a total mockery of drug rules/testing and must be thoroughly disheartening for all other clean competitors

varian

The excuse "she accidently took her grandfather's medicine" sounds like it came from the same scriptwriter who provided us with "they were keen to visit the famous Salisbury Cathedral"

Yes, it does.
At fifteen she knew she was taking or being injected with drugs. She should not have been allowed to compete.