The raging and political posturing in Lausanne outside the Kamila Valieva hearing is, like almost everything about this case except for the one thing that matters most, absurd.
You would think, listening to the American figure skaters, that seemingly no one in the United States of America has ever committed a doping violation, and that by trying to pressure the Court of Arbitration panel hearing the case that they – and the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, which would seemingly never miss a chance via this sort of kabuki theater to take a shot at Russian friends – are standing up for truth, justice and the American way.
Such silliness.
Here is what matters: Valieva, as this column has pointed out time and again, was 15 years old when all of what happened went down.
Under the rules, that made her a ‘protected person.’
The key issue is how to confront that.
The rest is noise. Rather, political posturing.
Valieva at the team event at the Beijing Games // Getty Images
It was always patently ridiculous for the U.S. figure skating team to send a letter to CAS, as it did last month, asking to be let in to the hearing. To be clear: the members of the team could send the letter. But to expect the request to be granted was ridiculous.
Under the rules, only the athlete whose case is at issue can ask for a public hearing. Others could ask, sure. But she – in this case, she, Valieva – would have to agree. But why would she? What would be in it for her?
What’s in it for anyone?
What did Floyd Landis prove in 2007? That a public hearing can rapidly turn into a circus?
(Answer: yes.)
On top of which, to reiterate, again and again and again, Valieva was, for purposes of this hearing, a minor. Just 15.
So, the entire let-us-in was always a patently transparent political stunt.
Let us note: it is hardly a secret that, when it comes to the Valieva case, there has been something of a mutuality of interests since the Beijing Games between, on the one hand, the U.S. figure skating team, USADA and (perhaps to a lesser degree in recent weeks) the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee and, on the other, USA Today and its deservedly star columnist, Christine Brennan. Disclosure: Christine and I are lifelong friends, class of 1980 graduates both from the Northwestern journalism school. She was the very first person I met on my first day on campus in Evanston; truly, I have only the utmost love and respect for Christine. She and I also tend to disagree professionally about some number of things. Which is OK. Let me emphasize: when we differ, we can, and do, disagree with tremendous respect for each other, and each other’s positions.
If the U.S. figure team wants – in particular to use Christine – to call out everyone and their brother and sister for justice delayed, then they ought to be called out for this amateurish stunt.
Let’s call it the way it is.
This is hardly justice delayed.
It’s only, from a certain perspective, justice “delayed” because it’s a Russian teen.
Christine, for her part, was only too glad to allow the newish head of U.S. Figure Skating, Tracy Marek, to say that it had been roughly 600 days since Feb. 7, 2022, the day the Russians – with Valieva skating – won the team medal. “We counted,” Marek said.
Christine doesn’t write the headlines, reporters almost never do, but this was the headline atop her story: “Nearly 600 days since Olympic skater’s positive drug test revealed, doping hearing starts”
So, one of the things they taught back in the day at Northwestern was to compare apples to apples. Is 600 days really a long time in a high-profile matter?
In the matter of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency versus Alberto Salazar, the iconic American marathoner turned coach with the Nike Oregon Project, USADA issued its so-called “Charging Letter” on June 30, 2017. The American Arbitration Assn. ruling in the case is dated Sept. 30. 2019.
That’s 823 days.
The case then moved on appeal to CAS, the same CAS now hearing the Valieva matter.
The CAS ruling was delivered Sept. 15, 2021.
Let’s count: June 30, 2017, through Sept. 15, 2021 … is 1,538 days.
The Salazar matter took so long that his suspension, as it turns out, ends this week. On Sept. 29, 2023.
So, some perspective, please.
One last note. The International Olympic Committee said in a statement Tuesday, “We want competition results to be final at Games time so that athletes can enjoy the glory of the moment during the Games.”
OK, but it was the IOC that made the call not to have a medals ceremony in Beijing, saying it would not be “appropriate.” Rather, the IOC said it would, after consulting with the athletes — from Russia (maybe), the United States, Japan and (depends) Canada — and their Olympic committees, organize “dignified” ceremonies “once the case of Ms. Valieva has concluded.”
Whenever that is going to be.
It most likely is not going to take 1,538 days.
In the meantime, can we all please simply remember Valieva was 15?
Not – some Russian political pawn. Because what goes around, comes around. Always. If you believe this posturing is appropriate, if this is the way you want Valieva treated, it’s gonna come back and bite some American teen girl in the backside the exact same way some day. Count on it. The Russians have very long memories. So do a lot of other people in a lot of other places. All of whom are watching the way the Americans, and the U.S. press, are behaving right now, this week, in Lausanne.
Consider your own daughter. Who is, or was one day, or one day will be, all of 15. The rules are there to protect 15-year-olds from this absurdity.
Fair, people, is fair. For everyone.