AS I SEE IT
By Neal A. Shipman
Farmer Editor
By now everyone is probably aware that Kamila Valieva, a truly talented 15-year-old Russian figure skater, was allowed to compete in the 2022 Winter Olympics even though she had tested positive for a banned drug.
Valieva had tested positive for Trimetazidine, a heart medication that can increase an athlete’s endurance, in a sample taken on Dec. 25, 2021, but the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruled that she could compete in the Olympics and that its decision was procedural rather than judgmental. In making its ruling, the CAS said that Valieva was a “protected person,” meaning that she’s too young to fully understand what substances she might be taking.
Obviously other Olympians and skating commentators were aghast at the decision. And they have every right to be outraged that a person, regardless of their age, should be allowed to compete in the Olympics after testing positive for a banned drug.