By Sakura Murakami
BEIJING (Reuters) – On the sidelines of the doping scandal involving Russian determine skater Kamila Valieva, the skaters of Workforce Japan are hoping to obtain their medals for the determine skating crew occasion in Beijing, the Japan Olympic Committee stated on Sunday.
“They’re not likely eager about the doping subject or what medal they’ll get. They’re extra within the medal ceremony and questioning whether or not they’ll be capable of accumulate their medals whereas in Beijing,” Japan’s chef de mission, Hidehito Ito, informed a information convention.
The Japanese skaters got here third within the crew determine skating occasion on Monday, behind Russia and the USA, earlier than information broke of a constructive doping check involving 15-year-old Valieva, a part of the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) ensemble that gained the occasion.
Valieva’s future on the Video games is because of be determined after a Court docket of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) listening to at 8:30 p.m. Beijing time (1230 GMT).
The groups from the USA and Japan are additionally awaiting the ultimate outcomes.
“The athletes are a bit disenchanted that they’ve to attend for the medal ceremony to occur – that they had actually labored so laborious for that medal,” Ito stated.
The chef de mission stated the Japan Olympic Committee would settle for the outcomes of the doping case.
“It’s a disgrace that the timing of the medal ceremony hasn’t been determined but, nevertheless it doesn’t concern Japan, so we want to chorus from commenting on Valieva’s case,” Ito stated.
“We consider that the related organisations will take the mandatory steps so we gained’t touch upon the problem,” he stated.
(Reporting by Sakura Murakami; Enhancing by Robert Birsel)
Supply: KFGO
