While a doping case against ROC's Kamila Valieva is being resolved, the United States Olympic figure skating team was offered torches instead of their silver medals, the Associated Press reported on Thursday. The medal ceremony for the team figure skating event has not yet taken place because the International Olympic Committee (IOC) ruled that no medal ceremony that included Valieva would occur until her case is fully resolved.
On Friday, it was confirmed that Valieva, 15, tested positive for a banned substance trimetazidine in December. She was still allowed to compete amidst the doping accusations. The team figure skating competition was won by the ROC, but because Valieva is on the team, the medal ceremony was postponed.
The Associated Press reported that while the US awaits the results, and subsequently their medals (whether it is silver or they get bumped up to gold) IOC president Thomas Bach offered them torches as a holding gift. It is not known if Team USA accepted the torches.
The US Olympic and Paralympic Committee confirmed that the meeting between Bach and Team USA's skaters took place, but said, "content of that discussion should remain between them."
Valieva landed the quadruple jump in the team event final, which has never been landed at the Olympics, and it helped the ROCfinish in first. But just days later, the International Testing Agency (ITA) announced she tested positive for a banned substance in December while participating in the Russian national championships.
She was banned by Russia's anti-doping agency, the ban was overturned after an appeal, then the IOC challenged the ban getting overturned. The Court of Arbitration for Sport allowed her to participate by upholding the decision to reverse the ban.
