“We have our own opinion about what happened but we support clean sport and are glad that those who performed the best received medals.” Tim Koleto on the medal ceremony for the 2022 Beijing team event took place in Paris
Tim Koleto on the medal ceremony for the 2022 Beijing team event took place in Paris.
original source: Sport-Express dd. by Dmitrii Kuznetsov
Japanese ice dancer, Tim Koleto, commented to a Russian journalists about the metal ceremony taking place in Paris and Russian team being stripped of gold due to the disqualification of Kamila Valieva. Here’s a translation of his comments.
On August 7 in Paris, a medal ceremony for the U.S. and Japanese teams took place for the 2022 Beijing Olympics team figure skating competition. Russian athletes who were supposed to receive the bronze were not invited to the awarding ceremony.
“Q: How do you comment on the third place being empty? Did it change your perception of the ceremony?
Tim Koleto: Today there was no podium. There wasn’t actually an empty third place. But they made it so we felt everything more traditionally, even against the backdrop of the Eiffel Tower. We have our own opinion about what happened but we support clean sport and are glad that those who performed the best received medals. And we believe that athletes who compete according to the rules should be rewarded for their efforts.
Q: If Russia could have come and received the medals, how would you have felt?
Tim Koleto: Of course, we have friends on the Russian team, with whom we have competed for many years and shared many experiences. If the athletes are clean and deserve medals, we would be happy if they were here. We respect the ISU’s decision and the IOC’s resolution on how to enforce it, and simply enjoy today.”
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