Canada’s Appeal Against Beijing Olympics Figure Skating Medal Rejection Denied

PARIS—Canada’s request for a team figure skating bronze medal from the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics was denied by the Court of Arbitration for Sport on Aug. 2, resulting in the Russia Olympic Committee (ROC) team maintaining third place.

During the Beijing Games, Russian skater Kamila Valieva was found guilty of doping earlier in the season, leading to her disqualification and a four-year ban for the ROC team.

Although Canada initially finished fourth, the International Skating Union (ISU) determined that even without Valieva’s scores, the Russian team’s total score was still slightly higher than that of the Canadians.

Following deliberations by a panel of CAS arbitrators last month, Skate Canada’s appeal was dismissed, with the decision based on ISU rules that did not allow for the reallocation of points to Canada.

The United States and Japan had already been awarded gold and silver medals, respectively.

Skate Canada expressed disappointment with the ruling, but stood by their athletes’ performances. The Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) also voiced dissatisfaction with the outcome, believing that points should have been redistributed after Valieva’s doping violation.

Despite the disagreement, both organizations commended Team Canada for handling the situation with dignity and praised their on-ice performances.

The International Olympic Committee indicated that it would accept the CAS decision without challenge.

Preparations are underway for a medal ceremony in Paris, where the U.S. team is set to receive their gold medals.