At the end of January, Kamila Valieva received a final decision on the doping case: the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) imposed a four-year disqualification on the athlete from the moment the positive sample was taken: December 26, 2021.
The figure skater herself never commented on the doping case: with the permission of the same CAS (the visiting panel that met at the Olympic Games), she continued to compete and fight in Russia for the highest places, but only briefly mentioned what happened. in the games.
In a documentary on the Japanese television channel NHK, Camila spoke directly about the situation for the first time. The 45-minute video is dedicated not only to her, but also to Eteri Tutberidze’s group in her group. But of course the central plot for both us and the Japanese was Valieva.
Valieva spoke about what happened at the Olympic Games.
“For my part, I can say that I did not consciously dope,” Camila began. — I tried to do everything possible… we are doing the RUSADA course, I tried to follow the rules as much as I could. I went to the Olympics and thought that this is a wonderful sports holiday, that this is the place that you have worked for so long, that you have dreamed of for so long. And I came and, unfortunately, I received different emotions, a different attitude.”
The figure skater also explained her disastrous performance in the individual Olympic tournament: after having won all the starts of the 2021/2022 season, she finished only fourth, after Anna Shcherbakova, Alexandra Trusova and Kaori Sakamoto.
“If I had understood that I wasn’t doing a Salchow or an Axel – and I especially didn’t do a sheepskin coat – I should have left this sheepskin coat and not tried to continue doing this double or triple Salchow and continue skating with triples. And I was afraid that the coaches would tell me why I didn’t do all the jumps. “I probably gave up at that point,” Valieva said.
Kamila Valieva
Photo: Alexander Safonov, “Championship”
He also recalled the oppressive atmosphere at training, where journalists began gathering after information about anti-doping control emerged.
“Before there were no photographers, but here the entire training ground is equipped with cameras, everyone takes pictures and immediately publishes how you fall.”
Tutberidze does not understand where doping comes from
Eteri Tutberidze still does not have a single version of how doping appeared in the body of his student. Unlike Leonid Slutsky, the Japanese dared to ask him a direct question: “There are people who believe that the club and the coaches should control a 15-year-old girl.”
How did Tutberidze talk about the Valieva case?
“I don’t know here,” Tutberidze replied. – First of all, I have many questions: what is this, where does it come from? No one even wanted to think rationally. Well, okay, she was clean everywhere from the beginning, both before and after. Why should they dope it in the Russian Championship? She won the whole season, she was clean everywhere and now that means we give her…
What was needed there? Jump higher? Spin more? We don’t have seconds to run faster or jump farther, we need a pull. No, we don’t have that.”
Eteri again praised the student, whom he had called the most talented in previous comments.
“This was given by someone from above. Special. Beautiful jumps, beautiful skating, unique position in the turns, great speed, alignment.”
Do you agree with the coach?
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What else was in the movie?
The Japanese showed Khrustalny’s training from within, not just on the ice. For example, the camera captured third-year girls painstakingly doing their homework between classes. They also showed cute shots of Camila with her dog.
There were also times when Tutberidze yelled at his students, in particular Valieva. “Camila, stop sitting!” – exclaims the coach. And at another moment he swears to Sofya Akatieva: “Akatyeva, I said, you can’t stop, you can’t! And then they will make me a monster in Japan.”
Elizaveta Tuktamysheva also appeared in the film, commenting on the suspension of her career.
Lisa rocked the Channel One Cup as captain:
“I probably made this decision because I understand that Russian athletes are still not allowed to participate in international competitions. Our federation is doing everything possible to ensure that we have motivation, varied starts and new projects.
All this, of course, helps a lot, but those athletes who have already tasted the taste of victories, especially international ones, and I have a lot of experience in this regard, lack these emotions,” unfortunately, Elizaveta admitted the obvious.
