Russia is dropping more and more bombs on Ukrainians, but despite this, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has opened the doors to representatives of the aggressor country in sports.
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After the IOC softened its position, the International Skating Union (ISU) also decided to allow Russians with neutral status.
After the pro-Russian decision on June 30, Kamila Valieva, who served a four-year disqualification for doping, was preparing to return to the international arena.
The granting of neutral status surprised many skating experts, as the 20-year-old skater was known for her connections with Vladimir Putin, under whose orders Russia started the war in Ukraine.
After a couple of months, the ISU revoked K. Valieva’s neutral status.
The reasons are not publicly disclosed, but the news agency AP, citing a source, stated that the neutral status was reassessed due to a potential violation of the rule that such status cannot be granted to athletes who previously supported Russia’s war in Ukraine.
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K. Valieva has been known as Putin’s favorite since she emerged in skating competitions at a very young age.
Putin supported the skater even during the 2022 Beijing Olympics scandal, when it was announced that banned substances were found in the then 15-year-old skater’s body.
The skater’s defense version was that the banned substances were used by her grandfather, and that the girl accidentally used the same, but she was still given a four-year disqualification.
It ended last year, so K. Valieva appeared in competitions in Moscow and now hoped to skate in international competitions. She can appeal the ISU decision.
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