A World Cup full of memorable moments was also marked by exclusion, exploitation and unprecedented political meddling, writes JAMES NALTON
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Valieva cleared to skate but no medals if she finishes in top three
Kamila Valieva, of the Russian Olympic Committee, trains at the 2022 Winter Olympics, Monday, February 14, 2022, in Beijing
From Barry McGuigan and Carl Frampton to Tyrone McKenna and Lewis Crocker, the city’s fighters carry a complex history into the ring, writes JOHN WIGHT
KAMILA VALIEVA will skate her spellbinding short programme at the Capital Indoor Arena in Beijing on Tuesday, amid a swirl of controversy over the decision by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to rule against re-imposing her provisional suspension for a doping offence.
The CAS cited “exceptional circumstances” and the fear of causing the 15-year-old “irreparable harm” for their decision to allow her to compete despite having tested positive for the banned heart medication trimetazidine following a test at the Russian National Championships on Christmas Day.
In a further extraordinary twist, the International Olympic Committee responded to the ruling by declaring that no medals will be awarded for the women’s event if, as expected, Valieva finishes in the top three, until such time as the full inquiry into the circumstances of her doping infraction has run its course.
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