CAS Dismisses Canadian Appeal in 2022 Olympic Team Event Case

CAS Media Release

The ranking announced by the ISU on 30 January 2024 is confirmed as follows:

1. United States of America 65 pts (gold)

2. Japan 63 pts (silver)

3. Russia 54 pts (bronze)

The Appellants had sought a ruling from CAS re-ranking the figure skating Team Event as follows: re-ranking the figure skating Team Event, as follows: United States of America (Gold); Japan (Silver); Canada (Bronze).

Following the hearing that took place on 22 July 2024, the Panel of CAS arbitrators in charge of the matter deliberated and concluded that the results of the Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva in the Olympic Figure Skating Team Event were correctly disqualified, without any possibility in the ISU Rules to re-allocate points in favour of Team Canada, following the retroactive disqualification of Kamila Valieva.

The Panel issued the Operative Part of the Arbitral Award. The full award, with the grounds for the Panel’s decision, will be issued as soon as possible.

Skate Canada states that they accept the CAS decision.

The ISU statement regarding the medal ceremony:

the International Olympic Committee (IOC) will award the medals during a special ceremony which will be held at the Champions Park in Paris on August 7, 2024 for the gold and silver medallists. Further to today’s decision, the ISU is in contact with the IOC to determine the next steps for the third place.

CAS Dismisses ROC Appeal in 2022 Olympic Team Event Case - Canadian Appeal Pending

CAS Media Release

Lausanne, 25 July 2024 – The CAS Panel in charge of the appeals filed by the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) (CAS 2024/A/10355), the Figure Skating Federation of Russia (CAS 2024/A/10360), and Russian skaters Aleksandr Galliamov, Nikita Katsalapov, Mark Kondratiuk, Anastasia Mishina, Victoria Sinitsina and Kamila Valieva (CAS 2024/A/10356) (collectively, the Appellants) against the re-ranking decision announced by the International Skating Union (ISU) on 30 January 2024 (the Challenged Decision) in relation to the final standings for the Team Event in figure skating at the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022 has issued its decision: the appeals are dismissed.

The Appellants had sought a ruling from CAS re-ranking the figure skating Team Event and awarding the gold medal to the ROC. Following the hearing that took place on 12 June 2024, the Panel deliberated and concluded that the results of Ms Valieva in the Olympic Figure Skating Team Event were correctly disqualified in the Challenged Decision, and that the ROC Skating Team could not be awarded the gold medal. Consequently, the above-mentioned appeals are dismissed. The Panel issued the Operative Part of the Arbitral Award. The full award, with the grounds for the Panel’s decision, will be issued as soon as possible.

The second CAS Panel, different from the first, constituted to resolve the related, but separate, appeal (CAS 2024/A/10354) filed by Canadian skaters Madeline Schizas, Piper Gilles, Paul Poirier, Kirsten Moore-Towers, Michael Marinaro, Eric Radford, Vanessa James and Roman Sadovsky, together with, Skate Canada and the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) (collectively, the Canadian Appellants), held a hearing at the CAS headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland on 22 July 2024.

The Canadian Appellants also seek a ruling from CAS re-ranking the figure skating Team Event, as follows: United States of America (Gold); Japan (Silver); Canada (Bronze).

The second CAS Panel is now deliberating. It is not possible to indicate at this time when the second Panel’s decision will be issued.

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Following the CAS decision on ROC’s appeal, the IOC stated that they would work with the ISU and US/Japanese Olympic Committees to hold a medal ceremony at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

IOC STATEMENT ON CAS DECISION:

This decision comes just in time to still be able to make the medal allocation for gold and silver possible during the Olympic Games Paris 2024.

The IOC will now work with the @ISU_Figure, USOPC and the JOC to bring the athletes to Paris in order to hold the ceremony here in the Champions Park based on the amended results from the ISU.

We are glad that this opportunity can be offered to the athletes and teams who, unfortunately, had to wait for a very long time for their medals due to the ongoing legal case.

Christine Brennan of USA Today Sports reports that the medal ceremony is planned for August 7, although this is yet to be confirmed with the IOC.

ISU Announces Reallocation of Placements Due to Valieva's Disqualification

Full ISU Statement

2022 Olympic Team Event: The new ranking is as follows:

• 1st place: USA (65 points)

• 2nd place: Japan (63 points)

• 3rd place: ROC (54 points)

• 4th place: Canada (53 points)

• 5th place: China (50 points)

Valieva’s 20 points from the Team Event were removed from ROC’s total, but the remaining women’s scores were not changed.

2022 Olympic Women’s Event: Valieva disqualified from 4th place.

2022 European Championships: Valieva disqualified from 1st place. The new podium ranking is as follows:

• 1st place: Anna Shcherbakova

• 2nd place: Alexandra Trusova

• 3rd place: Loena Hendrickx

ROC Response: Following the ISU statement, the Russian Olympic Committee announced that it would appeal the ISU decision on the Team Event to CAS, on the grounds that sanctions against an individual athlete should not be the basis for reviewing results for a team event.

Skate Canada Response: Skate Canada disagrees with the ISU’s decision on the Team Event and will consider an appeal. They cite Rule 353 of the ISU’s Special Regulations and Technical Rules, which states that “Disqualified Competitors will lose their placements and be officially noted in the intermediate and final results as disqualified (DSQ). Competitors having finished the competition and who initially placed lower than the disqualified Competitor(s) will move up accordingly in their placement(s).”

If the women in the Team Event who placed below Valieva were moved up one placement and given 2 additional points for the short program and free skate, the final Team Event ranking would have Canada in third place (55 points) instead of ROC (54 points).

Additional Note: In an ISU document detailing the qualification process for the 2022 Olympics dated December 2019, it is stated that for the Team Event, “The ISU Judging System as described in the 2020 ISU Special Regulations Single and Pair Skating/Ice Dance shall apply, in particular but not limited to Rule 352 and Rule 353.” However, no direct mention is made of how a disqualified athlete may affect the final scores and ranking in the Team Event.

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Feb. 9, 2024 Update

The ISU has released another statement regarding the Team Event placements. Excerpt as follows:

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) decision announced on January 29 that the retroactive application of Kamila Valieva’s disqualification is the responsibility of the sports organization concerned, notably the ISU. The ISU has remained resolved to ensure that the applicable rules and principles as well as the CAS decision are correctly followed, and that any changes to the results were applied accordingly. 

The decision of the ISU Council with regard to the consequences to the official results of the Team event of Beijing 2022, clearly expressed in the ISU Statement of January 30, 2024, was based on a comprehensive evaluation from legal experts. This evaluation was, in turn, founded on the applicable rules and principles that are specific to this OWG Team event and is, therefore, the only decision that complies with the CAS Panel’s award.  For the sake of clarity Rule 353 para 4 in the ISU Special Regulations is not applicable in this case.

In any complex and extraordinary situation like this, the reallocation of points could negatively affect the relative team ranking, adversely impacting teams that had nothing to do with the incident in question.  Therefore, we have to abide by the rules and principles.  In light of this case, we will further clarify the rules and principles moving forward to ensure any such cases are dealt with more efficiently in the future. 

The CAS decision itself may be subject to appeal, therefore the ISU will not be discussing this matter in further detail in public at this stage. 

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Feb. 26, 2024 Update

CAS has officially registered four appeals of the ISU’s decision regarding the Team Event placements, one from the Canadian team/Skate Canada/Canadian Olympic Committee, and three from the ROC team/Figure Skating Federation of Russia/Russian Olympic Committee. Canada seeks the bronze medal, while Russia seeks to keep the gold medal. Proceedings have begun, but there is no indication of when a hearing may take place (if any).

Court of Arbitration for Sport Decision on Kamila Valieva Case

• Ms Valieva is found to have committed an Anti-Doping Rule Violation (ADRV) under Clause 4.1 of the All-Russian Anti-Doping Rules of 24 June 2021 (the Russian ADR).

• A period of four (4) years ineligibility is imposed on Ms Valieva, starting on 25 December 2021.

• All competitive results of Ms Valieva from 25 December 2021 are disqualified, with all the resulting consequences (including forfeiture of any titles, awards, medals, profits, prizes, and appearance money).

[…]

The consequences linked to the retroactive disqualification of Ms Valieva from past events, including from the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022, were not within the scope of this arbitration procedure and will have to be examined by the sports organisations concerned.

Full CAS release

ETA: Full report of the case proceedings

2022 Winter Olympics: Pairs Individual Event Preview

The last figure skating event of the 2022 Winter Olympics will be the high-flying pairs competition, China’s marquee discipline with stars Wenjing Sui and Cong Han in the mix for the gold medal. They will be challenged by three strong teams representing ROC, including current World Champions Anastasia Mishina and Aleksandr Galliamov. Here’s a quick introduction to some of the teams!

See also: 2022 Winter Olympics Info & Streaming for how to watch!

Wenjing Sui / Cong Han (China)

• Age: 26/29

• ISU Season’s Best Scores: SP - 82.83, FS - 145.11, Total - 224.55

• ISU Personal Best Scores: SP - 82.83, FS - 155.60, Total - 234.84

• Programs: SP - Mission Impossible 2 Orchestra Suite, FS - Bridge Over Troubled Water

Pyeongchang Olympic silver medalists and 2-time World Champions, Sui and Han come into their second Olympic Games as strong contenders for the gold medal. They have led Chinese skating for the last 8 years, and are the longest-lasting pairs team in this field. They’ve been skating together for nearly 15 years, and their seamlessness, elegance and chemistry are apparent when they perform.

Their fiery short program to the Mission Impossible 2 soundtrack shows off their crisp elements, while their free program to Bridge Over Troubled water is an emotional tribute to their journey together. They are the only pairs team to attempt a quadruple twist in this Olympics, and they will need every point to fend off challenges from Mishina/Galliamov and the other Russian teams. Sui/Han’s throw jumps are impeccable, but they sometimes struggle with the side-by-side jumps. They are stronger in the short program, where they currently hold the world record score, but will need to be as clean as possible in the free skate to win the gold.

Anastasia Mishina / Aleksandr Galliamov (ROC)

• Age: 20/22

• ISU Season’s Best Scores: SP - 82.64, FS - 157.46, Total - 239.82

• ISU Personal Best Scores: SP - 82.64, FS - 157.46, Total - 239.82

• Programs: SP - Esmeralda, FS - The Snowstorm, Time, Forward!

The young team of Mishina/Galliamov have exploded onto the senior scene in the last few seasons, winning the 2021 World Championship title and 2022 European Championship title. They have cemented themselves as Russia’s top team this season with their consistency and high-quality elements, and are favorites along with Sui/Han for the Olympic gold medal. Their money combo is a side-by-side triple salchow-euler-triple salchow combination in the free skate, a difficult combination that few other pairs have attempted, and which helps their base value significantly. Mishina/Galliamov currently hold the world record scores for the free skate and combined total. Watch for their joyful short program to selections from the Esmeralda ballet.

Evgenia Tarasova / Vladimir Morozov (ROC)

• Age: 27/29

• ISU Season’s Best Scores: SP - 81.58, FS - 154.85, Total - 236.43

• ISU Personal Best Scores: SP - 81.58, FS - 154.85, Total - 236.43

• Programs: SP - Metamorphosis Two, Experience, FS - Lighthouse

Three-time World medalists and Russia’s top team at the 2018 Olympics, Tarasova and Morozov have fought through many challenges in the last few seasons, including coaching changes, injuries, and COVID. When they’re on, they have some of the most impressive technical elements in the field, especially their enormous triple twist. Their main struggle has been consistency, although they have improved in this aspect in the current season. Their programs highlight their classic lines and elegance, and if they can deliver, they may even challenge for Olympic gold.

Aleksandra Boikova / Dmitrii Kozlovskii (ROC)

• Age: 20/22

• ISU Season’s Best Scores: SP - 77.17, FS - 150.97, Total - 227.23

• ISU Personal Best Scores: SP - 82.34, FS - 152.24, Total - 234.58

• Programs: SP - Swan Lake, FS - Malaguena

The 2020 European Champions Boikova/Kozlovskii are another young team that have swept through Russian skating in the last four years. Coached by the legendary Tamara Moskvina, alongside their teammates Mishina/Galliamov, they’re a team with incredible personality — Boikova’s sass stands out amongst Russian pairs women with her outstanding expression. The team has beautiful extension too, especially noticeable in their lifts.

Boikova/Kozlovskii have struggled with consistency in the last two seasons, but they are still very much contenders for the Olympic podium if they skate clean. Watch out for their dramatic programs to Swan Lake and Malaguena, two figure skating classics.

Riku Miura / Ryuichi Kihara (Japan)

• Age: 20/29

• ISU Season’s Best Scores: SP - 74.45, FS - 139.60, Total - 209.42

• ISU Personal Best Scores: SP - 74.45, FS - 139.60, Total - 209.42

• Programs: SP - Hallelujah, FS - Woman

Coming from a country not known for pairs or ice dance, Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara have gone against the odds to prove that Japanese skating can stand on international podiums in every discipline. They paired up only two seasons ago, and spent a portion of time only receiving remote coaching due to travel difficulties surrounding the COVID pandemic. Nevertheless, they have medaled at two Grand Prix events this season, qualifying for the Grand Prix Final (before it was canceled.) Their meteoric rise helped Japan win a medal in the Olympic team event for the first time. Also notable is the fact that Ryuichi Kihara is now attending his third Olympic Games, putting him in impressive company, as few skaters ever make it to more than two.

Both of Miura/Kihara’s programs are full of personality. They skate to a beautiful rendition of Hallelujah by k.d. lang for their short program, and powerful version of Woman by Shawn Phillips in the free program. Clean performances here have the potential to put them in the top 6.

Cheng Peng / Yang Jin (China)

• Age: 24/27

• ISU Season’s Best Scores: SP - 76.71, FS - 135.15, Total - 211.86

• ISU Personal Best Scores: SP - 76.71, FS - 141.21, Total - 216.90

• Programs: SP - Piano & I: Moonlight Sonata, FS - Selections from The Banquet

Sometimes underrated by the judges due to being China’s number two pair, Peng and Jin are incredibly talented, with immaculate synchronicity in their individual elements in addition to their top-notch pair elements. Like their teammates Sui and Han, Peng/Jin have gorgeous throw jumps, but sometimes struggle with their side-by-side jumps.

Peng and Jin are skating at their second Olympics together, looking for redemption from Pyeongchang, where they finished a disappointing 17th. In the last four years, they have absolutely proven to be one of the world’s top pairs, with medals at the Grand Prix Final and Four Continents Championships. They’ll be skating to Chinese music in their free program, composed of selections from The Banquet, a film set at the end of the Tang dynasty, with beautifully expressed themes of love in times of strife.

OTHERS TO WATCH:

Kirsten Moore-Towers / Michael Marinaro (Canada)

• Age: 29/30

• ISU Season’s Best Scores: SP - 67.34, FS - 122.77, Total - 184.37

• ISU Personal Best Scores: SP - 76.36, FS - 138.59, Total - 211.05

• Programs: SP - Hold on Tight, FS - Carry You

Moore-Towers is competing at her third Olympics, and Marinaro at his second. The reigning Canadian National Champions have said this is their final season, and they’ll skate like it, leaving everything on the table for their final showing. With several disappointing performances this season, their main goal will be to show their best at the Olympics. Moore-Towers and Marinaro will skate to the emotional Carry You by Ruelle and Fleurie in their free, a testament to their journey to these Olympic Games.

Ashley Cain-Gribble and Timothy Leduc (USA)

• Age: 26/31

• ISU Season’s Best Scores: SP - 70.75, FS - 132.04, Total - 202.79

• ISU Personal Best Scores: SP - 76.23, FS - 132.04, Total - 205.58

• Programs: SP - Selections from The White Crow, FS - Selections from W.E.

Ashley Cain-Gribble and Timothy Leduc have persevered through injuries, and both personal and professional challenges to make it to these Olympic Games. Timothy Leduc is the first-ever openly non-binary athlete at the Winter Olympics. The reigning US National Champions, they’ll skate to The White Crow by Ilan Eshkeri in the short program, and selections from W.E. by Abel Korneniowski in the free program. Keep an eye out for their side-by-side triple loops, another rare jump in pairs skating.

IOC EB decides no medal ceremonies following CAS decision on the case of ROC skater

The Executive Board (EB) of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) takes note of the decision by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to allow figure skater Kamila Valieva (Russian Olympic Committee) to continue to compete at the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022.

The IOC has to follow the rule of law and will therefore have to allow her to compete in the Women’s Single Skating competition on Tuesday, 15 February 2022 and, if qualified, on 17 February 2022.

The CAS has clearly expressed that the decision taken by the Ad-hoc Division today is not a decision on whether Ms Valieva violated the anti-doping rules. It was limited to the sole question of whether Ms Valieva could be provisionally suspended from the Olympic competition following a positive A-sample taken on 25 December 2021.

The management of the case after this positive A-sample has not yet been concluded. Only after due process has been followed can it be established whether Ms Valieva infringed the World Anti-Doping Code (WADC) and would have to be sanctioned.

This inconclusive situation led the IOC EB to the following decisions, after having had initial consultations with the National Olympic Committees (NOCs) concerned:

1. In the interest of fairness to all athletes and the NOCs 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.

2. 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.

3. The IOC requests the International Skating Union (ISU), for reasons of fairness, to allow a 25th competitor to participate in the Free Skating part of the competition on 17 February, in case Ms Valieva is ranked in the first 24 of the short programme on 15 February.

4. The IOC will, in consultation with the athletes and NOCs concerned, organise dignified medal ceremonies once the case of Ms Valieva has been concluded.

Source

WADA statement following CAS decision not to reinstate skater’s provisional suspension

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) acknowledges the ruling announced today by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to confirm the lifting of the provisional suspension of Russian Olympic Committee figure skater Kamila Valieva.

WADA’s appeal to CAS in this case, which was filed alongside appeals by the International Olympic Committee and the International Skating Union, was based on WADA’s position that the decision by the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) Disciplinary Committee to lift the mandatory provisional suspension on the athlete was not in line with the terms of the World Anti-Doping Code (Code). WADA is therefore disappointed by today’s ruling of the CAS Ad Hoc Division. While WADA has not received the reasoned award, it appears that the CAS panel decided not to apply the terms of the Code, which does not allow for specific exceptions to be made in relation to mandatory provisional suspensions for 'protected persons', including minors.

Concerning the analysis of the athlete's sample, WADA always expects Anti-Doping Organizations to liaise with the laboratories in order to ensure they expedite the analysis of samples so that the results are received prior to athletes traveling to or competing in a major event, such as the Olympic or Paralympic Games and, where applicable, conduct results management of the cases related to such athletes.

According to information received by WADA, the sample in this case was not flagged by RUSADA as being a priority sample when it was received by the anti-doping laboratory in Stockholm, Sweden. This meant the laboratory did not know to fast-track the analysis of this sample.

As previously announced, under the terms of the Code, when a minor is involved in an anti-doping case, there is a requirement to investigate that athlete’s support personnel. RUSADA has already indicated it has begun that process. In addition, WADA’s independent Intelligence and Investigations Department will look into it.

Source

CAS declines to impose a provisional suspension for Kamila Valieva

Valieva will be allowed to participate in the Women’s Individual Event at the Olympics. The investigation into the positive doping test will continue.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport’s reasons for the decision include:

On the basis of the very limited facts of this case, and after consideration of the relevant legal issues, it has determined that no provisional suspension should be imposed on the Athlete due to the following exceptional circumstances:

a) The Athlete is a “Protected Person” under the World Anti-Doping Code (WADC);

b) The RUSADA Anti-Doping Rules and the WADC are silent with respect to provisional suspension imposed on protected persons, while these rules have specific provisions for different standards of evidence and for lower sanctions in the case of protected persons;

c) The Panel considered fundamental principles of fairness, proportionality, irreparable harm, and the relative balance of interests as between the Applicants and the Athlete, who did not test positive during the Olympic Games in Beijing and is still subject to a disciplinary procedure on the merits following the positive anti-doping test undertaken in December 2021; in particular, the Panel considered that preventing the Athlete from competing at the Olympic Games would cause her irreparable harm in these circumstances;

d) The CAS Panel also emphasized that there were serious issues of untimely notification of the results of the Athlete’s anti-doping test that was performed in December 2021 which impinged upon the Athlete’s ability to establish certain legal requirements for her benefit, while such late notification was not her fault, in the middle of the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022.

Source

2022 Winter Olympics: Ice Dance Individual Event Preview

The second individual figure skating event at the Beijing Olympics kicks off with the ice dance competition! Besides the gold medal favorites Papadakis/Cizeron, it’s anyone’s guess which teams will claim the other spots on the podium, and in which order. Ice is slippery, and placements could be decided by the slimmest of margins in ice dance, where skaters chase high levels and Grades of Execution in their fight for the podium.

See also: 2022 Winter Olympics Info & Streaming for how to watch!

Gabriella Papadakis / Guillaume Cizeron (France)

• Age: 26/27

• ISU Season’s Best Scores: RD - 89.08, FD - 132.61, Total - 221.25

• ISU Personal Best Scores: RD - 90.03, FD - 136.58, Total - 226.61

• Programs: RD - John Legend Medley; FD - Elegie

Coming in as the gold medal favorites, Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron have won every title there is to win in ice dance with the exception of the Olympic gold medal. Losing to Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir in 2018 only seemed to light a fire under them as they approached ice dance with new fervor, trying new techniques and styles over the last four years, such as a free dance to spoken word. Although they missed the entire 2020-21 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, they came back strong in the Olympic season, winning every competition they entered so far.

This season, for the street dance-themed rhythm dance, Papadakis and Cizeron have opted to create a program inspired by Waacking, a 1970s underground gay club style. In their free program, they’ll return to what they’re best known for, lyrical and exquisite lines, with choreography set to French composer Gabriel Fauré’s L’élegie.

Papadakis and Cizeron are the current world record holders for the rhythm dance, free dance, and combined total scores.

Victoria Sinitsina / Nikita Katasalapov (ROC)

• Age: 26/30

• ISU Season’s Best Scores: RD - 87.89, FD - 130.07, Total - 217.96

• ISU Personal Best Scores: RD - 88.73, FD - 133.02, Total - 221.17

• Programs: RD - You Can Leave Your Hat On, Brick House; FD - Piano Concerto No. 2 by Rachmaninov, Caprice No. 24 by Paganini

Russia boasts some of the world's top ice dance teams, with Victoria Sinitsina and Nikita Katsalapov holding the current title of World Champions. Though Katsalapov has struggled with a back injury over the last few years, they remain sharp competitors, showcasing clean, elegant lines in their jazzy You Can Leave Your Hat On rhythm dance and their free dance to a classical Rachmaninov medley.

Although they appeared to be Papadakis/Cizeron’s main competitors heading into the Olympics, they placed behind both American teams in the Olympic Team Event just a week ago, setting up a very interesting fight for the podium.

Madison Hubbell / Zachary Donohue (USA)

• Age: 26/30

• ISU Season’s Best Scores: RD - 86.56, FD - 125.96, Total - 209.54

• ISU Personal Best Scores: RD - 86.56, FD - 128.66, Total - 214.71

• Programs: RD - Janet Jackson Medley, FD - Drowning

Madison Hubbell and Zachary Donohue have been skating together for over a decade, and came close to a taste of glory at the Pyeongchang Olympics, finishing in fourth place. Four years have given them time to polish and shine, and they have been one of the two leading American teams for the past Olympic cycle. Their strength lies in their speed and power across the ice, with some of the strongest basic skating in the field.

Their rhythm dance is set to a medley of Janet Jackson songs, with knee slides and sharp lines to match Jackson’s R&B and Hip Hop styles. Hubbell and Donohue will then switch gears with their gentle free dance set to singer-songwriter Anna Silas’ Drowning, a personal farewell to skating. The team plans to retire after this season.

Madison Chock / Evan Bates (USA)

• Age: 29/32

• ISU Season’s Best Scores: RD - 86.02, FD - 129.07, Total - 210.78

• ISU Personal Best Scores: RD - 86.02, FD - 129.07, Total - 213.18

• Programs: RD - Billie Eilish Medley, FD - Daft Punk Medley

Three-time Olympians Madison Chock and Evan Bates are looking for a strong podium finish after facing two challenging Olympic attempts. Having traded US National titles back and forth with training mates Hubbell and Donohue over the last four years, they’ll be looking to cement their spot as the top American ice dance team—not an easy feat in a deep field of dancers.

Chock and Bates are engaging performers with often conceptual programs. In the rhythm dance, they’ll be skating to a medley of hit-singer Billie Eilish’s songs, while showcasing their storytelling capabilities in the free dance with Contact, in which Bates plays an astronaut coming into contact with an alien (Chock) for the first time. They see it as a story of communication across boundaries, a recurring theme in Chock and Bates’ free dances.

Piper Gilles / Paul Poirier (Canada)

• Age: 30/30

• ISU Season’s Best Scores: RD - 85.65, FD - 125.62, Total - 210.97

• ISU Personal Best Scores: RD - 85.65, FD - 130.98, Total - 214.35

• Programs: RD - Elton John Medley, FD - The Long and Winding Road

Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier easily take the crown of ice dance’s quirkiest team. Check out their ISU profiles, with hobbies listed such as “avoiding the knights who say Ni”, and “Monty Python horse riding”. They are certain to bring a smile to any audience watching. Gilles and Poirier are known for wildly unique and innovative programs over the years, although their programs for the Olympic season are slightly more traditional, by their standards. They will skate to a vibrant Elton John medley in the rhythm dance, and a Long and Winding Road Beatles tribute in the free dance.

For them, it’s all about the emotional connection to the music, so let yourself be taken along for the ride — it’s certainly been a long and winding road for them as they arrive at their second Olympic games, but for the first time, as Canada’s top ice dance team. Coming into the competition as World bronze medalists, they have an outside shot at the Olympic podium.

Alexandra Stepanova / Ivan Bukin (ROC)

• Age: 26/28

• ISU Season’s Best Scores: RD - 86.45, FD - 126.75, Total - 213.20

• ISU Personal Best Scores: RD - 86.45, FD - 127.64, Total - 213.20

• Programs: RD - Backstreet Boys, Shawn Mendes/Justin Bieber Medley, FD - A Time for Us, Romeo and Juliet

Alexandra Stepanova and Ivan Bukin have been chasing the heels of Sinitsina/Katsalapov for the last few years. They come into their first Olympics as reigning European silver medalists. Watch for their fire as they attack their Everybody/Monster rhythm dance with sharp accuracy, then switch gears entirely for the free dance with a soft and tender skate inspired by Romeo and Juliet’s A Time for Us.

Laurence Fournier-Beaudry / Nikolaj Sørensen (Canada)

• Age: 29/32

• ISU Season’s Best Scores: RD - 77.38, FD - 117.29, Total - 194.67

• ISU Personal Best Scores: RD - 81.16, FD - 119.84, Total - 210.00

• Programs: RD - George Michael Medley, FD - Gladiator

Laurence Fournier-Beaudry and Nikolaj originally competed together under the Danish flag, however, Denmark’s strict citizenship laws meant that Fournier-Beaudry was unable to obtain citizenship in time for the Pyeongchang Olympics. Citizenship troubles followed them to Canada, but Sørenson finally took his oath in the fall of 2021, clearing the path for these two skaters to bring their beautiful skating to Beijing. 

They’ll be skating to Hans Zimmer and Lisa Gerrard’s Gladiator score in the free dance, a testament to all of the challenges they’ve overcome to arrive on the Olympic stage. Keep an eye out for their interesting lift positions.

Charlène Guignard / Marco Fabbri (Italy)

• Age: 32/34

• ISU Season’s Best Scores: RD - 83.83, FD - 126.10, Total - 208.88

• ISU Personal Best Scores: RD - 84.66, FD - 126.10, Total - 208.88

• Programs: RD - Michael Jackson Medley, FD - Atonement, Little Sparrow

Charlène Guignard and Marco Fabbri are competing at their third Olympics, with a fun and upbeat Michael Jackson medley for their rhythm dance. Watch for their elegant transitions between elements — they really know how to maintain their speed and ice coverage. 

In the free program, they’ll skate to a program inspired by Ian McEwan’s Atonement — we’re hoping to see Guignard with her stunning lines decked out in that classic emerald green dress, but we’ll have to wait until the free dance to see for sure. 

Olivia Smart / Adrian Diaz (Spain)

• Age: 24/31

• ISU Season’s Best Scores: RD - 78.53, FD - 118.87, Total - 196.86

• ISU Personal Best Scores: RD - 78.53, FD - 118.87, Total - 196.86

• Programs: RD - Proud Mary, FD - The Mask of Zorro

After a grueling season-long competition for Spain’s lone Olympic ice dance spot, Smart and Diaz finally find themselves on the Olympic stage for the first time as a team. They’ll be skating to the fierce and fiery Proud Mary by Tina Turner in the rhythm dance. Their free dance is a fun and engaging program set to the Mask of Zorro soundtrack, complete with the sound effects of swordplay on ice.

We ran out of room to include more, but make sure you also keep an eye out for these teams!

Lilah Fear/Lewis Gibson (GBR), Kaitlin Hawayek/Jean Luc Baker (USA), Marjorie Lajoie/Zachary Lagha (CAN), Shiyue Wang/Xinyu Liu (CHN)

Beijing 2022: The ITA informs on figure skater Kamila Valieva

The International Testing Agency (ITA), leading the anti-doping program for the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022, informs about the case of figure skater Kamila Valieva.​

First, the ITA stresses that Ms. Kamila Valieva, a member of the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) delegation in Beijing, is a minor and therefore a ‘Protected Person’ under the World Anti-Doping Code – this status applies to persons under the age of 16. As such, the parties are not subject to mandatory public disclosure of her name or any case she might be involved in, instead any public disclosure must be proportionate to the facts and circumstances of the case. Seeing that some in the media did not grant her the same protection and have reported widely on the basis of unofficial information following the postponement of the medal ceremony of the figure skating Team Event at the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022, the ITA acknowledges the necessity for official information due to heightened public interest.

To state the facts chronologically, a sample from the athlete was collected under the testing authority and results management authority of the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) on 25 December 2021 during the 2022 Russian Figure Skating Championships in Saint Petersburg, Russia. The WADA-accredited laboratory of Stockholm, Sweden, reported that the sample had returned an Adverse Analytical Finding (AAF) for the non-specified prohibited substance trimetazidine (classified as S4. Hormone and Metabolic Modulators according to the Prohibited List of the World Anti-Doping Code) on 8 February 2022. Following this, the athlete was provisionally suspended by RUSADA with immediate effect.

Pursuant to Article 15 of the IOC Anti-Doping Rules applicable to the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022, the decision of RUSADA imposing a provisional suspension automatically prohibited the athlete from participation in all sports during the provisional suspension, including the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022.

As the sample was collected by RUSADA ahead of the Winter Games, this case is not under the jurisdiction of the IOC and thus not directly managed by the ITA. In line with the IOC Anti-Doping Rules, the ITA immediately informed the athlete that the provisional suspension imposed on her by RUSADA is binding upon the IOC and the athlete is prevented from competing, training, coaching, or participating in any activity, during the Olympic Winter Games.

Due to the fact that this is not a case under the authority of the IOC and taking into account her abovementioned status as Protected Person, the ITA abstained from publicly disclosing the case following the notification in order to protect the athlete’s identity as a minor and to ensure that all necessary measures for her physical and mental safeguarding could be implemented. All the while all due legal processes were initiated.

The athlete challenged the imposition of the provisional suspension before the RUSADA Disciplinary Anti-Doping Committee on 9 February 2022 and a hearing took place on the same day. On the evening of 9 February 2020, the RUSADA Disciplinary Anti-Doping Committee decided to lift the athlete’s provisional suspension, thus allowing her to continue her participation in the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022. The reasoned decision, including the grounds for which the provisional suspension was lifted, will be issued shortly to all concerned parties.

Under the World Anti-Doping Code, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), the International Skating Union (ISU), RUSADA and the IOC have a right to appeal the decision to lift the provisional suspension before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). The IOC will exercise its right to appeal and not to wait for the reasoned decision by RUSADA, because a decision is needed before the next competition the athlete is due to take part in (Women Single Skating, 15 February 2022).

Following the delegation of the IOC’s anti-doping program in relation to the Olympic Games to the ITA, the ITA will lead the appeal before CAS on behalf of the IOC.

The proceedings on the merits of the apparent anti-doping rule violation, including the athlete’s right to request the analysis of the B-sample, will be pursued by RUSADA in due course.

The decision on the results of the ROC team in the Team Figure Skating event can be taken by the ISU only after a final decision on the full merits of the case has been taken. The procedure, which is initiated currently, can only address the provisional suspension.

Given that the legal process for this case is not finally concluded, the ITA will not provide any additional comments. Any further information on the case will be issued in form of a public statement.

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