The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has announced it will not hold the medal ceremony for the women’s individual figure skating event at the Beijing Games if Russian participant Kamila Valieva finishes on the podium.
The organization also said it would not be holding the delayed ceremony for the figure skating team event in Beijing, which was won by a Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) team including the 15-year-old Valieva.
“In the interest of fairness to all athletes and the NOCs [National Olympic Committees] concerned, it would not be appropriate to hold the medal ceremony for the figure skating team event during the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022 as it would include an athlete who on the one hand has a positive A-sample, but whose violation of the anti-doping rules has not yet been established on the other hand,” read a statement citing a decison by the IOC Executive Board.
“Should Ms Valieva finish amongst the top three competitors in the women’s single skating competition, no flower ceremony and no medal ceremony will take place during the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022,” it added.