In a landmark decision, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has officially confirmed the U.S. figure skating team as the gold medalists from the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. This ruling, announced Thursday, clears the way for the American skaters to receive their well-deserved medals during the Paris Summer Games.
Sarah Hirshland, the chief executive of the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee, expressed her excitement about the decision.
“We are thrilled to finally honor these incredible athletes,” Hirshland said. “We are especially excited that the beautiful city of Paris will join us in this celebration.”
The confirmation of the U.S. team's gold medals comes nearly 2 1/2 years after the original Beijing Winter Games, where the American team had initially finished second in the team event. The team’s placement had been overshadowed by a doping scandal involving Russian skater Kamila Valieva, whose positive test for a banned substance led to a prolonged legal battle.
Evan Bates, Karen Chen, Nathan Chen, Madison Chock, Zachary Donohue, Brandon Frazier, Madison Hubbell, Alexa Knierim, and Vincent Zhou are now set to be recognized as official Olympic champions at the Paris Games. This development follows a lengthy and complex series of appeals and legal proceedings.
The CAS ruling on Thursday dismissed Russian appeals to be reinstated as the team gold medalists. The decision followed the January disqualification of Valieva, who was banned for four years by the International Skating Union (ISU).
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