Posted 10 февраля 2022,, 11:54

Published 10 февраля 2022,, 11:54

Modified 24 декабря 2022,, 22:38

Updated 24 декабря 2022,, 22:38

Question of the Day: who will protect teenager Kamila Valiyeva from doping accusations?

Question of the Day: who will protect teenager Kamila Valiyeva from doping accusations?

10 февраля 2022, 11:54
Фото: Фото: Соцсети
Social networks are outraged that a 15-year-old teenager could be put on a “doping needle”.

A few hours ago it became known that the IOC called the information about the positive doping test of Kamila Valiyeva "rumors". The head of the press service of this organization, Mark Adams, refused to comment in detail on the scandal surrounding the Russian figure skater, calling the version of the postponement of the awards ceremony due to doping rumors. However, according to him, the situation requires legal advice.

“You understand that I will not comment on rumors. Yes, a situation arose yesterday, but I will not comment on the legal details. A possible positive doping test is a rumor. Let me remind you that the IOC has delegated doping testing to the Court of Arbitration for Sport and the International Testing Agency. You can contact them,” Adams said.

It also became known that the 15-year-old figure skater today, February 10, for the first time after the end of the team competition, went to training.

Put her in jail!

This incident caused such a scandalous reaction in the Russian media and social networks that the leading sports publication of the country, Sport-Express, deleted the statement of the deputy Irina Rodnina about the criminal prosecution of figure skater Valiyeva.

“If they confirmed the use of doping, then let's not talk about what kind of athlete she is. In this situation, Valiyeva is a violator of all the laws of Russia. We have criminal penalties for doping up to imprisonment, as in other countries”, - Rodnina said in a remote comment on the publication’s website.

Experts, however, noted that Rodnina herself does not know the text of the articles of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation on doping and on the responsibility of coaches, doctors and other specialists for “inducing an athlete” to doping. This is logical, since professional athletes are subject to disqualification by non-state authorities, and they usually do not ingest illegal drugs themselves. The responsibility of athletes for doping is in the administrative code, but the punishment there is light - up to 50 thousand rubles a fine - and we are talking about a “deliberate violation”, and Valiyeva clearly did not prescribe the pills herself.

By the way, even earlier, Rodnina said that she didn’t watch the competition at all: “Am I sick, or what? Why should I watch this team tournament? I will not watch the team tournament. I'd rather save my strength for individual competitions.

A 15-year-old child cannot be considered an adult

Sociologist Konstantin Sonin also urged his readers to judge not Valiyeva if she really took doping, but her coaches:

“Of course, I hope that the reports of a positive doping test of Kamila Valiyeva turn out to be a misunderstanding, no losses will occur and we will again see her unearthly skating in individual competitions.

But still - if Camila is disqualified - our country will be deprived of the Olympic championship in the team - we must not forget that this athlete is a 15-year-old child. And that should be the most important thing.

In this case, she will be punished for breaking the rules to the maximum extent - and she cannot be punished for disappointing fans and teammates, losing a Russian medal, etc.

I understand how difficult it is to treat as a child a professional athlete, performing at the highest level, champion of Russia and Europe, already the author of outstanding achievements. But it is necessary - if you do not want children to compete and win in adult competitions, you need to change the rules. But a 15-year-old child cannot be made, arbitrarily, "adult" - and he is not an adult, no matter how he looks and no matter what heights he reaches. This is a child and you need to treat him like a child - help, explain, support.

If there really was doping, then the investigating authorities have a job to find out which of the adults gave it and who knew about it. But the task of everyone else - coaches, federations, politicians - is to protect Camila and make her life go on.

Children should be banned from participating in such competitions!

Analyst Andrey Nikulin is generally perplexed: what do children do at adult games?

“I won’t talk about doping accusations - the question is different, but what do children and teenagers do at the Olympic Games in general?

How can a child actually be sent to professional sports, to hard work that is beyond the capacity of the absolute majority of adults?

Where is the right to childhood? The opportunity to learn, play, choose your future?

How can you drag an unformed person through the most difficult trainings that distract from everything else, including socialization, and then leave him on the sidelines of life, at best with a few medals, at worst without them.

And with the prospect of becoming a maximum coach or physical education teacher at school, in parallel healing the injuries.

This concerns not only Russia and not only figure skating, in fact it has become a global problem - a situation where a teenager, for the amusement of adults, beats from the last one in a circus for millions.

It seems to me quite logical to establish an absolute ban on participation in all serious competitions for people under 18 years old.

And to determine strict criteria and volumes of maximum allowable training for children and adolescents, based not only on the physical form of the athlete, but also on the understanding of the need to leave him time and energy to receive a decent education and self-development.

Funny and naive? Perhaps, but the issue of doping was also not resolved immediately.

Parents should be held accountable for such cases.

Lawyer Aleksey Fedyarov believes that the doping problem is much deeper than they try to imagine, and that the parents of young athletes play a decisive role here:

“About doping, because I’m tired of “sorry for the girl.”

Have you ever been in the locker rooms of powerful Olympic reserve schools?

Did you just see trash cans with empty syringes?

I have seen.

Any athlete in the world can give himself an injection. Years from 12-13 is easy. There aren't enough nurses for everyone.

In any gym in any major city in the world, you can easily buy a "course".

Any man, even at 70, can now disperse himself to a muscle, just pour testosterone through a vein and eat more.

Every single bodybuilder "chemizes". Yesterday I had testosterone 32, which is a lot for a man, in two weeks 47 and plus three kg of muscle mass. And they get 8 a month.

Yeah. On the breasts.

In cyclic sports (running, skiing, biathlon) this is not discussed at all.

In the sports where the teenage body of girls is used, there is now figure skating, I won’t put a penny that at the age of 15 a girl is not given the right passport.

The role of the parents of such children. That's what's important."

Fans, what do you care what they use there?

But the publicist Marina Shapovalova looked at the situation from the opposite, unexpected side:

“I’m scrolling through the tape and on the fifth repetition of one last name I’m already interested: who is this Valiyeva, what did I miss so important?

Well, yes, I know that nowadays people in Beijing are competing to see who can jump the best. And from the traditional discussions of doping, I remember: the Olympics! Someone was once again caught, therefore, this Valiyeva. If I understood correctly, she performed well there, everyone liked it, and then - bam! - (second shift - crossed out).

I have questions. Seriously.

Even if I know that absolutely all athletes in big-time sports take doping, probably everyone knows this?

Some years ago, I took part in some television show where this problem was discussed. There, all the athletes (already former, though, otherwise they would probably be silent) confirmed: yes, they say, everyone takes doping. All athletes of all countries. Otherwise, not only is it impossible to compete at the world level, but even to pass to such levels. The difference is in the achievements of pharmaceuticals. Those who are lucky get the latest drugs, just developed and not yet included in the prohibition list. The task of the rest is to somehow not get caught, which is becoming more and more difficult every year and also requires pharmaceutical exposure.

And if so, then the second question to those who are passionate about the spectacle of the competition: do you care what they use there, if you like the action itself and the skill of performance? Whether it is harmful to them or not is their business, how they achieve such "increased jumping ability" from their body. They chose this way of self-realization and earnings. The loads to which they systematically expose themselves are definitely more dangerous for health than any pills..."

Or are you watching a "knockout game"? Like, who gets caught and thrown out? The man performed best of all, received a medal, and then - bang! - and he is not!.. Killed. Medals are retaken, until the next "black mark"...

Dramatic, no doubt. Although the spectacle is not good. mocking. After all, they are living people who have invested everything in the struggle for success. Incredible effort, years of hard work. You don't think that the result is achieved by doping alone, without difficulty.

Some kind of absurdity. Inhuman in every sense…”

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