Rodnina appreciated attempts to challenge Russia’s deprivation of gold in the Olympic team tournament

Three-time Olympic champion, State Duma deputy Irina Rodnina appreciated the attempts to challenge the deprivation of the Russian team of gold in the team figure skating tournament at the 2022 Olympic Games (OG) in the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). Her words are quoted by Match TV.

Rodnina said she saw no point in the appeal and called it shooting into the sky. “There is an admission that [Камилы] Valieva was a prohibited drug. She had the right to appeal this. But, as far as I understand, Valieva’s side previously disputed the duration and countdown date of the disqualification, and not the presence of a prohibited drug,” she noted.

Rodnina also wondered where the funds to challenge the court’s decision were taken from. “And for whose money did such a vigorous activity take place? Maybe it’s government money? Or sponsorship? she asked.

CAS previously registered four appeals regarding the redistribution of team tournament medals. Three of them were sent from Russia with a request to leave the team gold, another – from Canada with a demand to award them bronze.

On January 30, the medals were redistributed due to the disqualification and cancellation of Valieva’s results. The Russian team moved from first to third place, gold went to the USA, silver to Japan.

On January 29, CAS suspended Valieva for four years for violating anti-doping rules. The period of suspension starts on December 25, 2021. The contamination of the December sample became known after the end of the team tournament.