The Olympics will award gold medal to USA after Russian skater ban

The International Olympic Committee will begin awarding medals for the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics figure skating competition, the organization announced Tuesday, two years after a doping scandal during the Games kept them from being handed out.

>> Read more trending news

The decision to award the medals came after the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled Monday that Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva “committed an anti-doping rule violation” that resulted in a ban for the games. She was found to have taken a banned heart medication, officials said.

Valieva, 15, competed in the Games, despite the positive test.

Valieva has been banned from any international competition through December 2025. Her wins since December 2021 have been voided, according to The Associated Press.

“The IOC is now in a position to award the medals in accordance with the ranking, which has to be established by the International Skating Union (ISU),” the organization said. “We have great sympathy with the athletes who have had to wait for two years to get the final results of their competition.”

Valieva and the Russian team won gold in the team competition, followed by the U.S. team then Japan and Canada.

“Today is a day we have been eagerly awaiting for two years, as it is a significant win not only for Team USA athletes but also for athletes worldwide who practice fair play and advocate for clean sport,” Sarah Hirshland, head of the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee, said in a statement to NPR.

The IOC said it would contact national Olympic committees to set up formal medal ceremonies.

© 2024 Cox Media Group