Russian Figure Skater Accused of Doping

 Russian Figure Skater Accused of Doping

               Russian skater Kamila Valieva tests positive for Trimetazidine, a heart medication that is used to treat coronary heart disease in adults. It works by causing the vessels of the heart to dilate which in turn helps the heart to work more efficiently. The drug has been banned since 2014. Because Trimetazidine affects the the hearts efficiency it helps athletes to train that much longer and vigorously than others.

           The fifteen year old failed the drug test back in December of 2021 just before the Beijing Winter Olympics. The first report of the failed drug test came on February 8th from a lab in Sweden which was precisely one day after Valieva won gold in Beijing. After the report was made public the skater was placed on a provisional suspension by The Russian Anti Doping Agency. The skater appealed the suspension and it was removed and this allowed her to compete in the 2022 Olympics. Some people call it a lack of integrity on Russia’s part allowing an athlete to compete in the Olympics after failing their drug test. This is not the first time a Russian athlete has been caught breaking the rules. In fact Russian athletes are banned from competing in the Olympics under Russia’s name because of repeatedly breaking anti-doping rules back in the Sochi Games of 2014.

            American athlete Sha’Carri Richardson publicly announces her unapproval towards officials for allowing the figure skater to continue to compete. Richardson was removed from the 2020 U.S. team just before the Tokyo Games for testing positive for marijuana. Sha’Carri took to Twitter demanding to know why the skater was still being allowed to skate and saying that she only used marijuana as a way to cope with her mother’s death.

            Not since the Nancy Kerrigan and Tonya Harding scandal has the Olympics turned into an utter disgrace. I think networks should change the category from sports to reality tv.