Winter Olympics: South Korean figure skating great Kim Yuna protests Russian Kamila Valieva’s doping decision
- Vancouver 2010 gold medallist Kim says ‘athlete who violates doping cannot compete in the game’
- Teenager Valieva is going for women’s singles free skate gold despite testing positive for a banned substance last month
Legendary South Korean figure skater Kim Yuna did not mince her words when talking about Russian teenager Kamila Valieva’s controversial return to competition in Beijing.
Valieva, who won team gold last week, will have a chance to compete for the women’s individual gold after CAS deemed a ban “would cause her irreparable harm in these circumstances”.
“Athlete who violates doping cannot compete in the game,” Kim, a 2010 Vancouver Games gold medallist and two-time world champion, wrote in a rare Instagram post alongside a plain black photo. Kim did not refer to Valieva directly.
“This principle must be observed without exception. All players’ efforts and dreams are equally precious.”
Kim, 31, is considered one of South Korea’s most famous figures having become the first female skater to win every major international figure skating competition. She won a silver at Sochi 2014 before retiring.
“Queen Yuna”, as she is known by fans, received overwhelming support by Korean netizens, with popular comments such as “thanks for expressing your opinion on this important matter for figure skating” and “I respect your opinion, let’s not take opportunities away from these other promising skaters”.