Kamila Valieva: Adam Rippon says adults around ‘completely failed her’, urges ban on child participation

The “devastating” Kamila Valieva scandal has shone a light on urgent issues around child participation in sport, according to former American figure skater Adam Rippon. In an interview with Eurosport, Rippon claimed Valieva was a «victim», hit out at the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for going easy on Russia, said the adults around the athlete “completely failed her” and called for figure skaters to be barred from the Olympics until turning 18.

Ad/> The doping scandal erupted last week when it was revealed that 15-year-old Valieva had tested positive for banned heart drug trimetazidine in a sample taken on December 25 – with the news erupting barely 48 hours after she had propelled the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) to gold in the team event. /> Beijing 2022'The Olympics is about doing it fairly, it's scary' — Rippon on Valieva controversy26 MINUTES AGO A Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) committee swiftly lifted her provisional suspension, prompting the IOC, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the International Skating Union (ISU) to launch a challenge at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

But in a decision that sent shockwaves through sport, CAS ruled that Valieva could continue competing. CAS said the ruling was specifically related to whether she could compete at the Games, with a further decision on whether she has breached doping regulations to come at a later date.

Valieva returned to the ice on Tuesday to deliver an event-leading score in the individual short program, but errors in her free skate on Thursday meant she missed out on a medal and her Olympic Games ended in tearful scenes. “I think Kamila is a victim in this.