Vallieva in the midst of the "storm"

(Beijing Winter Olympics) Vallieva in the midst of the "storm"

China News Service, Beijing, February 12 Title: "Valieva in the Midst of the Storm."

China News Service reporter Zhang Su

At about 13:54 Beijing time on the 12th, Camilla Vallieva, a figure skater of the Russian Olympic Committee team, took off her mask, rushed into the ice rink, and warmed up in a circle.

On February 6, the Winter Olympics figure skating team competition officially began, and the talented Player Valienva of the Russian Olympic team, who was less than 16 years old, was like an ice fairy.

At about 14:00, she came to the center of the field and stood next to the emblem of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, "Winter Dream". A song called "In Memoriam," the soundtrack to Vallieva's short show this season. She dances in response to the sound, interpreting the sadness of "the girl chasing the butterfly".

Except for the mistake in the first jump, the rest of the action is clean and neat. As the music grew stronger, the faster Vallieva slid, the stronger the emotions became. At the end of the song, she bent over and put her knees on her knees, sliding a short distance and sliding violently towards the coaches standing on the sidelines. The figure skating coach Etri Tusitri, who has produced many Winter Olympic champions, reached out and hugged Vallieva and whispered something in her ear.

Countless long guns and short guns focused on this scene. At this time, it has been 5 days since Vallieva and her teammates reached the highest podium at the figure skating team event at the Beijing Winter Olympics.

Where did the "storm" start?

The award ceremony for the figure skating team competition was supposed to take place on the evening of the 8th. On the 9th, the International Olympic Committee confirmed that the ceremony was postponed due to "legal issues" and "legal consultation with the International Skating Federation".

Because the IOC did not disclose the specific reason, rumors spread for a time. However, no one would have thought that the problem was with Valieva. After all, people had only one question about the women's singles player who had a great performance in the team short program, free skating, and was the first to complete the four-week jump at the Winter Olympics, "Who can beat her to win the women's singles gold medal?" ”

However, there have been reports that Vallieva has been tested positive for banned drugs. Through a statement issued by the International Inspection Agency (ITA) on the 11th, the outside world knows the beginning and the end.

On December 25, 2021, the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) collected a sample of Valieva's test at the Russian Figure Skating Championships and sent it to a laboratory in Stockholm, Sweden, accredited by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). On February 8, 2022, the lab said the sample tested positive and the banned substance detected was trimetazide.

Vallieva was then temporarily banned by RUSADA. On the 9th, she appealed to the RUSADA Disciplinary Committee. At a hearing held on the same day, the RUSADA Disciplinary Committee decided to lift her temporary ban and allow her to continue to participate in the Beijing Winter Olympics.

However, in response to rusada's decision, the ITA filed a lawsuit with the International Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on behalf of the International Olympic Committee. The ISU also subsequently issued a statement saying it had appealed to CAS for an ongoing temporary ban on Valieva.

The ITA also stressed in its statement that athletes under the age of 16 are minors under the World Anti-Doping Regulations and belong to a "protected group" whose information may not be made public. However, seeing that some media outlets did not protect her name and widely reported it based on unofficial information, "it is necessary to make an official disclosure of this."

At this point, the "storm" has finally come to fruition.

Vallieva, who is in the "Eye of the Storm", appeared in the training hall on time for two consecutive days. On the 11th, she made a series of mistakes on the ice, covered her face with a hoodie after training, and walked alone through the mixed interview area. On the 12th, in addition to the true feelings revealed when she hugged the coach, most of the time, she was tirelessly practicing difficult actions repeatedly. It wasn't until the next group of contestants got on the ice that she passed in front of the media with a smile and a smile accompanied by others.

Some reporters gave her warm applause, shouting "Good, we love you", and some reporters directly asked "Are you innocent?" ”。 Vallieva ignored it and did not answer any questions.

In fact, the fierce confrontation between many parties has extended from the ice rink to the off-field. Just when the International Court of Arbitration for Sport accepted the appeal of the International Inspection Agency, the International Skating Union and other parties, the Russian Olympic Committee pointed out that Valieva's drug test results before and after the Beijing Winter Olympics were negative, and said that "all measures are being taken to protect the rights and interests of the members of the Russian Olympic Committee team." In response to an inquiry, a Kremlin spokesman also said that "we will continue to give strong support to Valieva."

Many people, including the president of the Russian Olympic Committee, have questioned the Stockholm laboratory. Although the lab claimed that the testing time was too long because the staff contracted the new crown pneumonia virus, there were concerns that the samples might be contaminated during this period.

Ahead of the women's singles event on Feb. 15, the Court of Arbitration for Sport will hold an online hearing to decide whether to allow Vallieva to continue to compete in the Beijing Winter Olympics. (End)