More than two years after missing out on gold medals due to an opponent’s doping use, the U.S. Olympic figure skating team finally received their hardware. U.S. and Japan figure skaters took to a podium at Champions Park in Paris on Wednesday to receive their gold and silver medals, which they earned at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. At the time, Russia took gold in the event, much due to the help of 15-year-old Kamila Valieva, who became the first woman ever to land a quadruple jump at the Olympics.
However, Valieva tested positive for trimetazidine — a banned drug that prevents angina — at the Russian national championships in December 2021, and the results of the test were only made public the day after the team final in Beijing. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) then ruled that no medals for the team figure skating event would be officially presented until Valieva’s case was resolved. The Olympians then had to wait nearly two years to know what medal they would even receive.
The team released a statement on Instagram on Feb. 2, 2023, expressing their frustration over the delayed decision in the Team Event. They emphasized the need for a fair ruling to award medals to all clean sport athletes affected by the situation. It wasn’t until January that Valieva was found guilty of an anti-doping rule violation, leading to the ROC losing its gold medal in the event. The U.S. team moved up to gold, while Japan moved to silver.
After waiting seven months for their official medal ceremony, the U.S. figure skating team finally had their moment in Paris. Madison Chock, Evan Bates, Karen Chen, Nathan Chen, Zachary Donohue, Brandon Frazier, Madison Hubbell, Alexa Knierim, and Vincent Zhou were able to celebrate their overdue medals in front of 13,000 cheering fans. Chock expressed her awe at the experience, mentioning how seeing the Eiffel Tower in the background took her breath away.
The journey to receiving their well-deserved medals was long and filled with uncertainty, but the U.S. figure skaters were finally able to bask in their victory. The event served as a reminder of the importance of clean competition and fair play in sports. The athletes’ perseverance and patience in the face of adversity exemplified the true spirit of the Olympic Games.
