The incredible happened — International Skating Union (ISU), which many accused either of Russophobia or of the desire to destroy Russian figure skating, still left Russia with a medal in the team tournament of the 2022 Olympics in Beijing after Kamila Valieva’s four-year disqualification. Bronze, true, but I still wanted the gold I won, but let's be honest — did you expect such an outcome? It’s as if there isn’t.
Because Kamila’s results were canceled anyway. That is, for the segment of women’s single skating, in which, through her efforts, we initially scored 20 points out of 20 possible, it is now worth 0. Logically, with Valieva’s removal, other girls should have risen higher — the one who was second will become first, third — second and etc. Due to this, the same Japanese (in the original team bronze medalists) would have become second, and according to all the laws of logic, the Canadians would have received bronze. The Russian team, as they say in such cases, would have stopped one step away from the podium.
The ISU does not have clear regulations for the team tournament regarding the redistribution of results (and not only for it), and according to the logic of things, the most likely option is our fourth place. Here are the efforts of the collective West, and total hatred of all Russians who wear skates — in a word, there is enormous scope for manipulation, there are motives.
But instead, the ISU did not raise anyone at all in the table. Yes, Kamila’s results were not taken into account, but at the same time, nothing was recalculated for other teams either. Because of this, Japan still managed to take silver (US gold in the current conditions is not even in dispute), but the Canadians, who were eager for bronze by any means other than high-quality rentals, were left with a donut. We beat them by exactly one point — 54 versus 53.
And there is a feeling that the ISU has thus taken a very concrete step forward. In conditions of international isolation, making a decision in favor of Russia, although the regulations did not oblige this, is a strong step that should definitely be welcomed. Surely there will be those who will say something about “handouts” and also tell where they need to put this Olympic bronze, but you know what?
Firstly, managing other people's medals is easy and simple. Tell the Beijing team tournament participants Mark Kondratyuk, Anastasia Mishina/Alexander Gallyamov, Victoria Sinitsina/Nikita Katsalapov what they need to do with this piece of metal. They will listen with pleasure and will probably take note.
And secondly, perhaps it’s time for us to stop seeing enemies where there are none. Sometimes good things happen without any selfish intention, and then it is better not to grin towards them, but to smile. You see, a little more time will pass and the Russian team will return to international competitions (there is confidence that this will happen quite soon), and then… Who knows?
Although the process of sharing medals is probably not over yet. It is unlikely that the Canadian side will be satisfied with such a knife in the back, so they will almost certainly try to appeal the ISU decision. I doubt that it will be successful — we remember that the ISU does not have clear regulations, which means they can turn back whatever they want, and legally everything will be clear. But you still have to fight.
And yet, as Gallyamov put it in the Telegram channel, the dogs bark — the caravan moves on. And for the first time in a long time, he went to the wrong place.
The author’s opinion may not coincide with the position of the editors
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