The medals from the doping-tainted team figure skating event at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics were finally awarded during the Paris Summer Games on Wednesday, two and a half years after the controversial event.
In the shadow of the Eiffel Tower, the United States and Japan were awarded gold and silver respectively.
The Russian team had won the event thanks to the points scored by then 15-year-old Kamila Valieva, who is now serving a four-year ban for doping.
Russia secured gold after Valieva became the first woman to land a quadruple jump in Olympic competition.
But it later emerged the teenager had tested positive before the Games for trimetazidine, a drug to treat angina which is banned for athletes.
When Valieva’s points were deducted, Russia were relegated to bronze, with USA in the gold medal position and Japan second.
“We all wished to be able to celebrate this medal together as a team, so it was really great that we were all able to come here and share this moment together,” said US skater Nathan Chen after the podium ceremony staged at the Champions Park, an area where medallists from the Summer Games parade in front of the public.
Japan’s Tim Koleto said “these last two and a half years have been very long”.
“It’s such a super special moment to be able to celebrate alongside family and friends and our other competitors. To do it in front of the Eiffel Tower is something even in my wildest dreams I didn’t imagine.”
Canada, who originally came fourth, failed in their challenge to have Russia stripped of bronze.
CAS last week rejected Russia’s appeal against the stripping of their gold medal.
