Ilia Averbukh: “The situation with Valieva should not affect the team, it’s her personal case. So, our team are the Olympic champions!”
Ilia Averbukh on CAS decision that Russian figure skaters retained the bronze in the Beijing-2022 team event.
original source: Sport-express
Russian figure skaters retained the bronze medal in the Beijing-2022 team event. The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) rejected Team Canada’s appeal, which had contended for the third place. Following the annulment of Kamila Valieva’s result due to a positive doping test, the first place went to Team USA and the second place to Japan. Russia’s appeal against being stripped of first place was also denied.
Ilia Averbukh considers the Russians as the winners of the Olympic team event. Here’s a translation of his comment.
“My opinion is that we won, that’s it! Kamila was tested at the Olympics and there were no questions. That means all the athletes were absolutely clear of doping at the competitions!
The situation with Valieva should not affect the team, it’s strictly her personal case. So, our team are the Olympic champions!” said the 2002 Olympic silver medalist, choreographer, and producer Ilia Averbukh.
Related topics: Ilia Averbukh
My favorite excuse was when Anna Shcherbakova or someone close to Anna Shcherbakova got blamed.
No, Mr. Averbukh. That’s not how team competitions work. As I so rudely got told when I complained about Vincent Zhou and Alexa Knierim receiving gold medals that they don’t deserve, it is a team competition. Therefore the team wins or loses.
It is hurting to see no proper investigation / no answers are given on HOW the drug ended in the child’s body (do not believe into the grandpa’s case / water story). Russian figure skaters were the best but the adults (coaches, medics, federation etc) did set them up. The kids were punished, and no adults protected them. I’ve lost respect for Tutberidze after this case.
Russians seriously are living on another planet. Kamila, which was part of the Russian team, was caught doping, therefore her results were thrown out, which led the Russian team lose points and downgraded the team to the bronze medal. So, they’re not the Olympic champions.
He can believe the moon is made of cheese too if he wants to; doesn’t make it a fact.
The thing is that team ROC really screwed themselves, because it doesn’t matter whether Anna or Sasha would’ve skated, they would’ve won their portion, and ROC the team event. But the ones in charge chose to go with Kamila, the one skater that still had a pending test result. So whatever anger or sulkiness is going on now, take it up with whoever made the decision to put Kami in the team comp when there were two other skaters ready and willing and definitely cleared to compete. And sure, someone’s going to say now that there was every reason to assume Kamila’s test would come back negative, but if, as was a theory put forward by Kamila’s defense, it’s so very possible an athlete accidentally ingests spiked foods or drinks, then the smart thing is to wait until you know for sure and not assume.
Such delusional people those Russian coaches are!