US figure skaters who moved into gold medal position after a Russian Kamila Valieva was disqualified from the 2022 Winter Olympics, said Tuesday they want a ceremony at the Paris Olympics.
Reigning world ice dance champions Evan Bates and Madison Chock were among nine Americans who became 2022 Beijing Olympic team figure skating champions after Valieva, part of the winning Russian team, received a four-year ban from the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
Medals have yet to be awarded after because the teen failed doping test before Beijing Winter Olympics.
But Chock and her teammates want to receive the medals in an Olympic atmosphere and as soon as possible.
“We’ve thought about it,” Chock said. “We would like to have true Olympic medal ceremony. For us, that would be a ceremony at the Paris Olympics this summer… surrounded by the Olympic spirit.
“That would be the dream scenario.”
CAS upheld an appeal by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) after a Russian anti-doping investigation found Valieva had “no fault or negligence”.
Valieva being dropped from Russia’s team scoring lifted the US squad into the gold medal spot in a re-ranking announced Tuesday by the International Skating Union (ISU).
Japan moved into silver with Russia third, rather than disqualified, as Valieva did not fail a doping test during the Beijing Olympics, leaving Canada in fourth.
Appeals could be pending but Sarah Hirshland, chief executive officer of the US Olympic & Paralympic Committee,…
