Figure skating medal ceremony delayed with drug test controversy at 2022 Olympics

The medal ceremony for the team figure skating event at the 2022 Olympics was delayed late Tuesday night with reports circulating that there was a failed drug test among the gold medal-winning Russian team.

The ceremony was pulled from its time slot late Tuesday night over “legal issues,” as reported by the IOC. A source close to the situation told USA Today that a member of the six-person Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) team had a positive drug test.

The source did not reveal which skater tested positive. Russia’s team includes Kamila Valieva, 15 (a gold medal favorite in the individual event); Mark Kondratiuk, 18; Anastasia Mishina, 20; Aleksandr Galliamov, 22; Victoria Sinitsina, 26; and Nikita Katsalapov, 30.

The American team was slated for a silver medal, and Japan for a bronze. Should the Russians be disqualified, the Americans could move up to the gold, with Canada (who finished fourth) in line for the bronze.

“Let’s, for the sake of understanding, wait for some explanations either from our sports officials or from the IOC,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, per ESPN.

It’s all speculation at this point, as so far the IOC has yet to officially acknowledge that a participant was directly involved in any wrongdoing. Should there be a disqualification, an appeal would likely follow, delaying the ceremony even further.

“Everyone is doing absolutely everything that the situation can be resolved as soon as possible,” IOC spokesperson Mark Adams said, though he also acknowledged that “legal issues can sometimes drag on.”