Figure skating The cruel treatment of teenager Kamila Valijeva from her coach would touch the heart of the IOC boss: “Very disturbing”

ZHANGJIAKOU.

International Chairman of the IOC of the Olympic Committee Thomas Bach has taken a strong stance as a teenage figure skater Kamila Valijevan treatment.

Valijeva, 15, who left the top spot for the free program on Thursday, crashed twice in her performance and ended up fourth in the race.

Valijeva, who represents Russian Olympic athletes, competed under tremendous pressure because she is suspected of doping. Even his grandfather is already tangled in the tangle.

After the race, Valijeva’s coach Ether Etherberidze by no means comforted and supported his grief-stricken athlete, but stabbed him harshly in front of the TV cameras.

“Why did you give up? Tell me why you did that. Why did you stop fighting altogether? ”

Competition Bach, the German chairman of the Olympic movement who watched on television, described the events as chilling.

“I have to say I found what I saw very, very disturbing,” Bach told a news conference, according to Reuters.

“He must have had tremendous pressure.”

The statement from Bach, known for his cautious statements, is very weighty.

Bach pointed out that the tremendous stress and pressure Valijeva experienced was already visible during the race from her body language and obvious.

Bachin it would be heartbreaking that after a failure, a teenage skater received only chilling and derogatory treatment from his close circle instead of being supported and helped.

“All this does not inspire much confidence in Kamila’s close circle.”

According to Bach, the IOC has little opportunity to influence the coaches of athletes and the backing teams of national teams.

Bach hoped that in such cases, the authorities of his own country would intervene.

“We are not cops, we cannot interrogate, and we do not have prosecution. In addition, our ability to impose penalties is limited. ”

The competition was won by Russian Olympic athletes Anna Shtsherbakova before Monday Aleksandra Trusova.

Kamila Valijeva has been at the center of the doping court for most of the Olympics.

Valijeva gave a positive doping test on December 25 at the Russian national competitions, but it only came to light on Tuesday, February 8, the day after the Olympic team competition.

However, the International Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) allowed Valijeva to continue competing in the Olympics as a young athlete. The case was postponed and the Valijeva B sample has not yet been analyzed.

Russian Olympic athletes won the team competition, but medals could not be awarded while Valijeva’s case was still pending.

The doping sample of Valijeva contained a drug called trimetazidine, which has been used specifically to treat coronary artery disease.

According to Valijeva’s explanation, the banned substance would have entered his body if he accidentally ate his grandfather’s heart medication.

The World Anti-Doping Agency Wada has not found the explanation credible.

Valijevan the case, with its various twists and turns, has sparked much debate about the ethics of sport.

Former figure skater Kiira Korpi suggested on Thursday Yle’s Olympic studio in an interview that in figure skating the age limit would be raised to 18 years to protect the health of athletes.

This would also preclude situations in which an athlete has to answer for doping allegations as a minor.

Read more: Kamila Valijeva, 15, fell in a whirlwind of enormous pressure and turmoil – The pre-race ended in great grief

Read more: Kiira Korpi uploaded a hard text to Yle – demands a big change in the treatment of young figure skaters: “I am so angry”

Read more: Did figure skater Kamila Valijeva eat her grandfather’s heart medicines? This teen star doping scandal is now known