From Reuters article with a lot more info on the issue on why it’s taking so long. Rusfed essentially said they’ve got their lawyers on it and they’ll try to drag it out until after the women’s comp so Kamila can compete.
Former WADA director general David Howman told Reuters parental consent is required before minors are tested
“It’s very unusual for a positive test to be returned between competition and the medal ceremony. Usually an athlete in that position would immediately be disqualified, but that hasn’t happened here.”
“It is not a drug that you would take accidentally, not something you would ordinarily be prescribed, and not something that you would expect a 15-year-old to be prescribed,” Howman said.
“It is very disappointing and a real shame that Russians continue to test positive at major events after all that country has gone through.”
The not naming minors rule also doesn’t seem to be protecting her at all here…
If she’s old enough to compete, she’s old enough to compete under the same rules. I don’t understand the parental permission. It should be given when the event is entered. If parents do not consent, they should not be allowed to enter.
I’m just mad because it is robbing the USA and Japan of their podium moment. (And possibly Canada…or the Russians if they clear her.)
They are now reporting it might not be settled before the Olympics is over. So all those medalists go home and get a half-assed “here’s your medal” ceremony at home. It’s on thing when the team is DQed way after the games and they have to change the medals; but they know NOW that there is a drug violation, and because Russia can do whatever they want in sport apparently, they can’t get it settled.
I’m going to be VERY upset if Kamila is allowed to compete in the women’s event, which russia is pushing for her to do within the Court of Sport Arbitration.
The ISU, WADA and IOC’s silence is making me livid.
And I’m really, really upset that this talented 15 year old girl is going to be forever tainted by the actions of corrupt fucking adults.
Sounds this is a hot mess that’s going to drag on after the women’s competition. Absolutely none of this is Kamila’s fault and I hate that this is happening to her, but there is no way she should be allowed to compete. AND YET.
As an aside, it seems to me like a huge conflict of interest to allow countries to decide the consequences of doping by their own athletes? How did I not know these types of cases weren’t handled by a neutral international body? Or is just because her positive test was from a national (and not an international) competition? A total joke that Russia got to just say “hey, nevermind, suspension lifted”
yup! Because the sample was collected by RUSADA before the olympics, the case wasn’t under the jurisdiction of the IOC and “thus not directly managed by the ITA,” therefore ITA did not publicly disclose the case
And yes, it is bullshit. Apparently the IOC is now arguing to overturn the overturned suspension by RUSADA in the Court of Sport Arbitration.
I also have questions about why it took 6 weeks to process the sample given that she won europeans. I know they have a lot of samples to process…but to wait until after the team event when she was the fav to win?
It sounds like it was done at an independent lab in Sweden and this is just how long it takes to process samples? No source for that other than twitter, but as a chemist it doesn’t surprise me. Presumably the samples are run blind, so it’s not like the lab techs know whose they are or that they need to be done by Euros or by the Olympics or whatever important date. (Unless, conspiracy theory, Russia specifically did not put a rush order on the samples because they knew this was a possibility…)
Yea, given everything we know about RUSADA after the icarus documentary and the sochi scandal, I would be 0% surprised if RUSADA slowed down the collection though.
I know the lab techs are doing it blind, but they collect thousands of samples from athletes and always run them after they win competitions - assigned by officials not by techs. She won nationals and europeans in the interim from this test sample. They weren’t tested until after she won the team event…
Also, apparently the B sample hasn’t been run yet? Which should’ve been run immediately after the A sample came back positive?
I mean it’s not really a conspiracy theory after everything we know about the russian doping program in sochi. Literally, 2 of the whistleblowers died under mysterious circumstances and one is now in witness protection.
I cannot believe the IOC is trying to remove the suspension (edit: wait are they trying to reinstate the suspension because RUSADA removed it?). I’m so sorry this is happening to her, because I doubt she chooses which “supplements” she takes; but if she’s cheating, she’s cheating. It is 100% banned in and out of competition. She should not be allowed to skate. (Oh, it’s probably because the B sample, and if it turns out that is clean, and they took away her chance to get a medal because she didn’t skate. What a fucking mess.)
I assume it takes forever, despite her winning Europeans because WADA is insanely underfunded and has to perform tests for ALL sports, so figure skating doesn’t get any sort of priority because she is an olympic medal favorite.
Also, I don’t trust a single result from any Russian skater. They’re all taking this same stuff, some apparently have just masked it better. It’s total bullshit. (For the record- I don’t believe every American sportsperson is clean, I just don’t think there is an organized effort to dope all our athletes.)
Shit’s really turning. Russian twitter’s #1 hashtag is #shameoneteri (the coach who probably drugged kamila and is also known for her abusive training methods).
Other coaches in the skating community are coming out about eteri. The dam has broken. Team Tut might be falling.
I just don’t think RUSADA (a state org that is sanctioned by international authorities for collaborating to avoid international regulations) investigating a state-sponsored skating school and coach is gonna have the kinda impact we hope it will.
Props to rusada for investigation Eteri and the coaching team. But it could be a dog and pony show with RUSADA has jurisdiction over the current investigation. RUSADA investigation says “oh it wasn’t eteri, it was the team doctor, we removed him”. Abusive coach stays and keeps doping girls and putting them on the treadmill to break their bodies by 17.
