(Reuters) – Following are reactions to Russian Kamila Valieva being cleared to compete in the women’s singles in figure skating at the Beijing Olympics after a decision by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), sport’s top court, on Monday.
RUSSIAN OLYMPIC COMMITTEE
“We do not know how many tears and what moral strength this whole crazy situation has cost Kamila. To go out and train every day with a decision hanging over you, not knowing what will happen tomorrow…
“To force yourself to appear calm in public, allowing your feelings to show only when no one is watching … We don’t know. It’s very personal.
“But what we know for sure and what we can definitely do is cheer for her tomorrow, then on Thursday with all the strength of our energy.”
UNITED STATES OLYMPIC & PARALYMPIC CEO SARAH HIRSHLAND
“We are disappointed by the message this decision sends. It is the collective responsibility of the entire Olympic community to protect the integrity of sport and to hold our athletes, coaches and all involved to the highest of standards.
“Athletes have the right to know they are competing on a level playing field. Unfortunately, today that is being denied. This appears to be another chapter in the systematic and pervasive disregard for clean sport by Russia.”
RUSSIAN ICE DANCER NIKITA KATSALAPOV
“Let’s go Kamila!”
UNITED STATES ANTI-DOPING AGENCY CEO TRAVIS TYGART
“Only time will tell if she (Valieva) should be competing in these Games and whether or not all of her results will be disqualified.
“Unfortunately, either way, for the sixth consecutive Olympic Games, Russia has hijacked the competition and stolen the moment from clean athletes and the public.
“In addition to athletes and the public, this young athlete has been terribly let down by the Russians and the global anti-doping system that unfairly cast her into this chaos.”
WORLD ANTI-DOPING AGENCY
“WADA’s appeal to CAS in this case … was based on WADA’s position that the decision by the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) Disciplinary Committee to lift the mandatory provisional suspension on the athlete was not in line with the terms of the World Anti-Doping Code.
“WADA is disappointed by today’s ruling of the CAS Ad Hoc Division.
“While WADA has not received the reasoned award, it appears that the CAS panel decided not to apply the terms of the Code, which does not allow for specific exceptions to be made in relation to mandatory provisional suspensions for ‘protected persons’, including minors.”
RUSSIAN FIGURE SKATING FEDERATION PRESIDENT ALEXANDER GORSHKOV
“I’m very happy for Valieva and glad that common sense and justice triumphed.”
FORMER WADA DIRECTOR GENERAL DAVID HOWMAN
“The decision simply confirms the need for all samples collected pre-Games to be analysed pre-Games as requested. Now all will have to wait for post-Games decisions and appeals before certainty.
“The IOC will have to award medals they may need to request back. The system works if people monitor it and enforce it. All samples collected from athletes going to the Games need to be analysed before.
“This is now embarrassing for all. And for athletes hardly reassuring that the promised clean games are being delivered.”
CANADIAN OLYMPIC COMMITTEE PRESIDENT TRICIA SMITH
“The situation… is extremely unfortunate and sad for the athletes.
“The COC is fully committed to clean sport and we firmly believe that no one involved in doping or other corrupt practices has a place in the Olympic Movement.
“While we trust that the CAS decision was the result of a fair process, we are extremely disappointed with this result.”
GERMAN OLYMPIC COMMITTEE PRESIDENT THOMAS WEIKERT
“On the one hand, it is clear that the expiration of the ban for Russian sports as a whole at the end of 2022 does not take into account the differences between the various sports.
“An individual look of each sport would likely have been more appropriate in the sense of a consistent fight against doping.
“On the other hand, there is the question of what kind of elite sport we want to have. The current case reinforces our perception that young athletes should be given time. A humane elite sport must not demand a lot too early.”
GLOBAL ATHLETE GROUP
“The fact that Kamila Valieva … has been found to have a performance enhancing substance in her system is evidence of abuse of a minor. Sport should be protecting its athletes, not damaging them.
“The doping of Kamila Valieva must be a wake-up call for every fan, parent, and athlete to stand together to demand reform.
“The doping of minor athletes must be stopped. Any country that systematically dopes its athletes cannot be allowed to participate in international sport.”
AMERICAN JOHNNY WEIR, TWICE OLYMPIC FIGURE SKATER
“I can’t condone the decision. There was a positive drug test, therefore the athlete who tested positive, at fault or not, regardless of age or timing of test/result, should not be allowed to compete against clean athletes.”
AMERICAN TARA LIPINSKI, FORMER FIGURE SKATER WHO WON GOLD
“I strongly disagree with this decision. At the end of the day, there was a positive test and there is no question in my mind that she should not be allowed to compete.
“Regardless of age or timing of the test/results. I believe this will leave a permanent scar on our sport.”
(Compiled by Manasi Pathak in Bengaluru; Editing by Shri Navaratnam, Ken Ferris and Peter Rutherford)
