Day 10 of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics

By Aditi Sangal, Ben Morse, Helen Regan, Adam Renton and Patrick Sung, CNN

Updated 7:59 p.m. ET, February 14, 2022

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1:42 a.m. ET, February 14, 2022

Athletes' group urges "immediate reform" to anti-doping systems following Kamila Valieva ruling

Global Athlete, an athlete-led group working for change across the sporting world, said the ruling to allow Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva to compete in Beijing is "another example of the failures of the global sport and antidoping system."

The group said the fact that Valieva — a 15-year-old — tested positive for a banned substance is "evidence of abuse of a minor."

"Sport should be protecting its athletes, not damaging them," it said in a statement.

"Doping and the trauma of a positive test pose grave physical and psychological risks to all athletes but especially to minors. It is unacceptable that these risks have been placed on a fifteen-year-old," Global Athlete said.

"The volume of abuses athletes have endured over the decades can undeniably be attributed to the power imbalance that sport leaders, administrators, and coaches have over athletes."

The group said athletes need professional representation and "the ability to collectively bargain."

"It is blatantly clear that Valieva would have never been placed in this position if the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), International Olympic Committee (IOC), and the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) had done their jobs and banned Russia from global sport," the group said.
"The doping of Kamila Valieva must be a wake-up call for every fan, parent, and athlete to stand together to demand reform. The doping of minor athletes must be stopped."

1:45 a.m. ET, February 14, 2022

US anti-doping agency chief says Russia has "hijacked" Olympics

From CNN's Lizzy Yee

File photo of US Anti-Doping Agency Chief Executive Officer Travis Tygart, from a senate hearing on Feb. 5, 2020. (Susan Walsh/AP)

Russia has "hijacked" the Olympic Games and "stolen the moment from clean athletes and the public," the head of the United States Anti-Doping Agency said Monday.

The comments from USADA CEO Travis T. Tygart came after the Court of Arbitration of Sport cleared Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva to compete in Beijing, despite a failed drugs test taken in December.

“Let’s all hope the decision to allow her to compete with a pending positive is the right one," Tygart said. Only time will tell if she should be competing in these Games and whether or not all of her results will be disqualified."

If the ongoing investigation determines Valieva should not have been allowed to compete and her results are disqualified, then, he said, "today’s decision will have once again permitted the Russians to taint the Olympic Games.

It would "reveal what a farce the handling of the Russia state-sponsored doping system by the IOC has been over the last eight years has been," Tygart said.

The CAS decision only ruled on whether Valieva could continue competing, not whether the drug test was valid or on if the ROC's team gold — which Valieva helped win — should be overturned.

"If Russia would have properly processed this sample which they collected weeks prior to the Olympic Games, we would know for certain whether the women’s individual event starting tomorrow will be a real competition and whether she should have been allowed to skate in the figure skating team event," Tygart said.
"In addition to athletes and the public, this young athlete has been terribly let down by the Russians and the global anti-doping system that unfairly cast her into this chaos."

Tygart called for reform of the global system "to ensure these types of failures do not occur and to protect all athletes by ensuring that all competitions are fair and in accordance with the rules of the game."

1:25 a.m. ET, February 14, 2022

Here's why the Court of Arbitration for Sport cleared Kamila Valieva to compete

Court of Arbitration for Sport director general Matthieu Reeb at a news conference at the Beijing Winter Olympics Media Center on Monday. (Sebastien Bozon/AFP/Getty Images)

Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva has been cleared to compete in the Beijing Winter Olympics, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruled Monday.

"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," the CAS said in a statement.

The ruling comes after the International Olympic Committee (IOC), International Skating Union (ISU) and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) appealed the Russian Anti-Doping Agency’s (RUSADA) decision to lift a provisional suspension on the teen figure skater after she failed a drugs test taken in December.

The CAS said it made the decision to allow the 15-year-old to compete due to "exceptional circumstances." They are:

Because Valieva is a minor, she is considered a “protected person” under the World Anti-Doping Code.
These rules have "specific provisions for different standards of evidence and for lower sanctions in the case of protected persons."
The CAS notes Valieva did not test positive during the Winter Olympics. In making the decision the panel considered "fundamental principles of fairness, proportionality, irreparable harm."

It concluded "that preventing the athlete from competing at the Olympic Games would cause her irreparable harm in these circumstances."

The CAS said there were "serious issues of untimely notification" of the drug test results. The test was taken in December but results were only made clear on Feb. 8.

The CAS said this "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."

CAS conclusion: The panel determined that permitting the provisional suspension to remain lifted was appropriate.

The CAS only ruled on Valieva's eligibility to compete, and did not examine "the legal consequences relating to the results of the team event in figure skating" — in which Valieva helped the ROC to win gold. Those issues "will be examined in other proceedings," the CAS said.

1:07 a.m. ET, February 14, 2022

Kamila Valieva has been cleared to compete in the Beijing Olympics. Here's how the saga unfolded

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruled Monday that 15-year-old Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva can continue competing in the Beijing Winter Olympics.

It means she will be able to take part in the women's single skating short program on Tuesday, which she is favorite to win.

Last week, Valieva became the first woman to land a quadruple jump at the Olympics and helped the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) win gold at the team event.

Here's what happened:

Valieva tested positive for the banned heart drug Trimetazidine in late December before the Games, according to the International Testing Agency (ITA).
The failed results were only announced on Feb. 8 — one day after the ROC's victory in the team event.
She was immediately given a provisional suspension by the Russian Anti-Doping Agency — but she challenged decision and the ban was lifted a day later, clearing her to continue competing.
The ITA, the International Olympic Committee, the World Anti-Doping Agency and the International Skating Union then appealed the decision to lift her suspension.
Valieva was free to train as the deliberations continued.
The scandal continues to delay the awarding of medals to all three teams, including silver for Team USA and bronze for Team Japan. It remains unclear if the drug test controversy will see the team gold medal revoked.
Responding to the controversy, the ROC said Valieva had "repeatedly passed doping tests" while already in Beijing, adding that it is taking measures to keep her "honestly won" gold.

1:00 a.m. ET, February 14, 2022

BREAKING NEWS: Kamila Valieva cleared to compete in Beijing Olympics, top sports court rules

Kamila Valieva is seen during a training session on Sunday. (Andrew Milligan/PA Images/Getty Images)

Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva has been cleared to compete in the Beijing Winter Olympics, The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruled Monday.

The ruling comes after the International Olympic Committee, International Skating Union (ISU) and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) appealed the Russian Anti-Doping Agency’s (RUSADA) decision to lift a provisional suspension on the teen figure skater after she failed a drugs test taken in December.

More to come ...

12:33 a.m. ET, February 14, 2022

Kamila Valieva court ruling will only determine whether figure skater can compete in Beijing

From CNN’s Selina Wang and Hannah Ritchie

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) will only decide whether Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva will be allowed to continue competing at the Beijing Games, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) said Monday.

It means the outcome of the postponed medal ceremony for the team event, which Valieva helped the ROC win, will be decided at a later date. The USA took silver and Japan bronze.

The IOC, International Skating Union (ISU) and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) are appealing the Russian Anti-Doping Agency’s (RUSADA) decision to lift a provisional suspension on Valieva after she failed a drugs test taken in December.

They are seeking to ban the 15-year-old from competing for the remainder of the Beijing Winter Games.

The CAS decision is expected to be announced around 2 p.m. local time Monday (1 a.m. ET).

What happens to the medals: Speaking to reporters Monday, IOC spokesperson Mark Adams said the decision from CAS will not determine whether the ROC gets to keep the gold medal it won in last week’s team figure skating competition— a victory that came one day before Valieva was given a doping violation over a test sample taken in December.

“[The medals] will not be sorted out by this decision. That will probably not be sorted out during this Games,” Adams said.

Complicated ruling: Addressing Valieva’s future, Adams said the case against her will continue after CAS’ ruling on whether to let her compete in the short program of the women’s singles event on Tuesday.

“If CAS decides to let Kamila Valieva start tomorrow, it does not mean on the one hand that she has not committed the doping offense and at the same time, if CAS decides to not let her start, it does not mean that the doping offense has been confirmed," he said. "What we will have in either case will be a decision where there’s an ongoing procedure against her, of which we do not know the final result."

Adams also confirmed to CNN that if Valieva does compete Tuesday and wins a place on the podium, it's likely a medal ceremony will go ahead as planned, but the medal could still be revoked at a later date.

12:00 a.m. ET, February 14, 2022

France's Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron win gold in figure skating ice dance

Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron of France skate during the ice dance free dance on Monday. (Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)

French duo Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron won gold in the figure skating ice dance competition on Monday, with a total score of 226.98 — a world record.

The pair's free dance program composition even earned a perfect 10.

The four-time world champions, who were Olympic silver medalists at Pyeongchang 2018, also set a new rhythm dance world record at the weekend.

Reigning world champions Victoria Sinitsina and Nikita Katsalapov of the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) took silver with a score of 220.51.

Team USA's Madison Hubbell and Zachary Donohue won bronze, scoring 218.02. They narrowly beat fellow Americans Madison Chock and Evan Bates in fourth with 214.77

The final scores are decided by adding the pair's scores from the rhythm and free dance events.

11:19 p.m. ET, February 13, 2022

From Covid isolation to silver medal for Team USA's Elana Meyers Taylor

Elana Meyers Taylor celebrates during the women's monobob event on Monday. (Julian Finney/Getty Images)

Team USA's Elana Meyers Taylor took silver in the monobob on Monday, just behind teammate Kaillie Humphries, who won gold.

But the bobsledder faced an uphill battle just to compete in the Games after testing positive for Covid-19, two days after arriving in Beijing.

The Covid comeback: Meyers Taylor returned to competition after spending the start of the Olympics in Covid quarantine. The 37-year-old was placed into an isolation hotel after testing positive.

Those who test positive must present two consecutive negative tests before they can be released. She did so several days later, and was cleared for release on Feb. 5.

During that time, her competitors were able to take training runs at the course — but Meyers Taylor was forced to train inside her hotel room, using weights and equipment her teammates brought her.

It didn't appear to impact her performance, however, as Meyers Taylor won her fourth career Olympic medal, having previously medaled in the two-woman bobsled in 2010, 2014, and 2018.

11:13 p.m. ET, February 13, 2022

Eileen Gu is through to the freeski slopestyle final

China's Eileen Gu competes during the women's slopestyle qualification on Monday. (Francisco Seco/AP)

Home favorite Eileen Gu of China is through to the final of the freeski slopestyle, posting a best score of 79.83 on her second run to place third on the leaderboard.

Estonia’s Kelly Sildaru leads the field with a score of 86.15 on her second run, and Norway's Johanne Killi (86) is in third.

A total of 12 skiers will advance to the finals, which are scheduled for Tuesday.

Gu, who won gold in the big air last week, has entered all three freeski events.