Kamila Valieva’s Olympic roller coaster will continue on Tuesday, and people are not happy about it.
The 15-year-old Russian phenom was cleared to compete in the women’s singles event after the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled that she does not need to be provisionally suspended ahead of a full investigation into a failed drug test from before the 2022 Winter Olympics. Valieva tested positive for trimetazidine on Dec. 25 at Russian nationals and the test result came to light after she helped the ROC earn gold in the figure skating team event.
Valieva is pegged as the favorite in the individual competition and got a favorable ruling from the CAS in part because she was a “protected person” at 15 years old and is subject to different rules from an adult athlete.
The court’s decision sparked outrage and dismay across social media. NBC Sports’ Tara Lipinski and Johnny Weir were among the many opposed to the court’s decision:
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The United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee and the Canadian Olympic Committee released statements expressing their disappointment with the ruling:
Other fans and analysts took an even harsher stance on the CAS ruling:
Valieva and 29 other skaters will kick off the women’s singles event with the short program at 5 a.m. ET on Tuesday.
