ESPN named a young woman who grew up in the United States but competed for China in the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing as its “Best Breakthrough Athlete.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
After winning three medals at the Olympics, Eileen Gu takes home the prize at the <a href="https://twitter.com/ESPYS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ESPYS</a> 🏆 <a href="https://t.co/vFG1l0dJd4">pic.twitter.com/vFG1l0dJd4</a>
&mdash; ESPN (@espn) <a href="https://twitter.com/espn/status/1549921730260570112?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 21, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Eileen Gu, 18 —who won two gold medals at the Winter Olympics, one in women&#8217;s freeski big air and another in the women&#8217;s freeski halfpipe competition, along with a silver medal in the slopestyle event — had <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/ByYTAs8AIH0/">announced in 2019</a> that she would compete for China in the 2022 Olympics. At the Olympics, she dodged questions about whether she had renounced her U.S. citizenship in order to do so, as Chinese law prohibits dual citizenship.
In response to the question, “Did you have to give up your U.S. citizenship to compete for China?&#8221; Gu, whose father was American but whose Chinese mother raised her alone with her grandmother, answered:
<blockquote>I’ve always been super outspoken about my gratitude to the U.S., especially the U.S. team. I feel as though they&#8217;ve helped me out so much in my development, they continue to support me. And same with the Chinese team. They&#8217;ve always been super supportive and they&#8217;ve helped me so much. And so in that sense, I think that that speaks volumes to the ability of sport to bridge the gap and to be a force for unity.</blockquote>
When the question was reiterated, she replied, “Yeah, um, first of all, I&#8217;m an 18-year old girl. I&#8217;m a kid. I haven&#8217;t even gone to college yet. I&#8217;m a pretty normal person . . .” as <a href="https://www.si.com/olympics/2022/02/08/eileen-gu-big-air-gold-medal-china-citizenship-status">Sports Illustrated</a> reported.
“If people don&#8217;t have a good heart, they won&#8217;t believe me, because they can&#8217;t empathize with people who do have a good heart,” she added. “And so in that sense, I feel as though it&#8217;s a lot easier to block out the hate now. And also, they&#8217;re never going to know what it feels like to win an Olympic gold medal.”
The Wall Street Journal <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/eileen-gu-ailing-gu-beijing-olympics-china-peng-shuai-11641778220">noted in January</a>, just prior to the Winter Olympics, that Red Bull, one of Gu’s sponsors, had posted on its website, “At the age of 15, US-born Gu decided to give up her American passport and naturalize as a Chinese citizen in order to compete for China in Beijing—because Chinese law doesn’t recognize dual nationality.”
The Journal noted that after they contacted Red Bull representatives to confirm that Gu relinquished her U.S. passport, the website elided the statement. When the Journal persisted by asking why the passage had been removed, a Red Bull spokeswoman dodged by answering, “We look forward to watching our friend Eileen Gu compete for China at the upcoming Olympics in Beijing.”
<a href="https://olympics.com/ioc/faq/competing-and-being-part-of-the-games/can-i-compete-for-another-team-than-my-nationality">Rule 41</a> of the Olympic Charter states that athletes must be Chinese nationals to compete for China. “But for a person to successfully naturalize as a Chinese citizen, Article 8 of China’s <a href="https://www.nia.gov.cn/n741440/n741547/c1013967/content.html">Nationality Law</a> says that person ‘shall not retain foreign nationality,’” <a href="https://www.voanews.com/a/exclusive-olympic-websites-scrub-conflicting-citizenship-info-on-china-s-star-winter-athlete-/6438850.html">Voice Of America</a> pointed out.

2022 ESPYs – Backstage

ESPN Names Skier Who Grew Up In U.S. But Competed For China ‘Best Breakthrough Athlete’

Beijing Olympics

China

citizenship

ESPN

Sports

Following outrage from the sports community, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) reversed a Wednesday decision to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete at the 2022 Paralympic Winter Games in Beijing. 
&#8220;The war has now come to these Games, and behind the scenes many governments are having an influence on our cherished event,&#8221; IPC President Andrew Parsons said Thursday according to <a href="https://www.espn.com/olympics/story/_/id/33410388/russian-belarusian-athletes-banned-winter-paralympic-games">ESPN</a>. &#8220;We were trying to protect the Games from war.&#8221;
Parson said delegations threatened to boycott the games if Russia and Belarus were allowed to participate. 
“In the last 12 hours an overwhelming number of members have been in touch with us and been very open, for which I am grateful,&#8221; Parsons <a href="https://www.paralympic.org/news/ipc-decline-athlete-entries-rpc-and-npc-belarus-beijing-2022">said</a>. &#8220;They have told us that if we do not reconsider our decision, it is now likely to have grave consequences for the Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Games. Multiple NPCs, some of which have been contacted by their governments, teams and athletes, are threatening not to compete.ll boycott, will not participate.&#8221;
The sudden reversal comes just one day after the IPC announced that athletes from both Russia and Belarus would be allowed to compete as neutrals in the March games in Beijing. 
“The RPC and NPC Belarus will participate as neutrals at the Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Games,” the IPC <a href="https://www.paralympic.org/press-release/ipc-makes-decisions-regarding-rpc-and-npc-belarus">said</a> in a statement on Wednesday. “They will compete under the Paralympic flag and not be included in the medal table. IPC to host extraordinary General Assembly in 2022 to vote on whether to make compliance with the Olympic Truce a membership requirement and whether to suspend or terminate the membership of the Russian Paralympic Committee and Belarus Paralympic Committee IPC will not hold any events in Russia or Belarus until further notice.”
Ukrainian athletes immediately ripped the decision, saying that Russia and Belarus will use the athletes as an opportunity to spread “state propaganda.”
&#8220;As Russian and Belarusian bombs rain down on the Ukrainian citizens, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) today issued another blow to every Ukrainian athlete and citizen by allowing Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete at the Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Games,&#8221; the Athletes of Ukraine and Global Athlete said in a joint <a href="https://twitter.com/GlobalAthleteHQ/status/1499022013981151239">statement</a>.
&#8220;The IPC claims they are acting by forcing Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete under a neutral flag,” the statement continued. “But the Russian flag was already prohibited from the Paralympics as punishment for a decade of state-sponsored doping and data manipulation.&#8221;
&#8220;With or without a neutral label, Russian and Belarusian authorities will use their athletes’ participation in these Games as state propaganda,” they added. 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Joint statement from Ukrainian Athletes and Global Athlete in reaction to the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IPC?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IPC</a>&#39;s decision to allow Russia and Belarus to compete at the 2022 Beijing Paralympic Games. <a href="https://twitter.com/Beijing2022?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Beijing2022</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/heraskevych?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@heraskevych</a> <a href="https://t.co/ZqQH6WHExs">pic.twitter.com/ZqQH6WHExs</a>
&mdash; Global Athlete (@GlobalAthleteHQ) <a href="https://twitter.com/GlobalAthleteHQ/status/1499022013981151239?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 2, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Wednesday’s decision by the IPC to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete went against the International Olympics Committee’s recommendation that “International Sports Federations and sports event organisers not invite or allow the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials in international competitions.” 
Parsons says the Olympic committee’s from Russia and Belarus may take legal action after he sent home 71 Russian and 12 Belarusian athletes from the games. 
&#8220;We do believe that the Russian Paralympic Committee and the Belarusian Paralympic Committee may take legal action,&#8221; Parsons said. &#8220;But the facts that we express here led us to understand that this was the right decision to be taking.&#8221;
The 2022 Paralympic Games begin Friday, March 4.
Joe Morgan is the Sports Reporter for The Daily Wire. Most recently, Morgan covered the Clippers, Lakers, and the NBA for Sporting News. Send your sports questions to sports@dailywire.com.

Beijing 2022 Winter Paralympics – Previews

Paralympic Committee Backtracks Amid Backlash: Russian, Belarusian Athletes Can’t Compete Anymore

Russia

Ukraine

We all had a feeling that the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics were going to see some low ratings; we just didn’t know how low. 
Now we do, and they’re bad. 
According to <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/nbc-draws-lowest-olympics-ratings-ever-with-beijing-games-11645487782">The Wall Street Journal</a>, the Beijing Games ratings were the worst U.S. ratings in the history of NBC’s coverage of the Winter Olympics. NBC averaged just 11.4 million viewers per night, down 42% from the 2018 Winter Olympics, which saw an average of 19.8 million viewers per night. 
“This was probably the most difficult Olympics of all time,” NBC Sports Chairman Pete Bevacqua <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/nbc-draws-lowest-olympics-ratings-ever-with-beijing-games-11645487782">said</a>. 
The lead-up to the Olympics showed a major lack of interest in the games, as much of the focus was on the location of the Winter Olympics itself. 
In December, the Biden administration announced a diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Games, citing the PRC’s “crimes against humanity” and “ongoing genocide” as to why the U.S. would not be sending any official representation to Beijing. The move by the Biden administration was not nearly enough for many, with a number of politicians saying that the United States should have boycotted the Olympics entirely, choosing to not send U.S. athletes to Beijing. 
Prior to the start of the games, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) asked Olympians to stick to sports, instead of risking angering the Chinese communist government with their thoughts on human rights. 
“I would say to our athletes — you are there to compete,” Pelosi <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/pelosi-instructs-u-s-athletes-to-not-speak-out-during-olympics-against-communist-chinas-genocide">said</a> in part during testimony before the Congressional-Executive Commission on China. “Do not risk incurring the anger of the Chinese government because they are ruthless. I know there is a temptation on the part of some to speak out while they are there, I respect that. But, I also worry about what the Chinese government might do to their reputations, to their families.”
The issues surrounding the location, the time difference between Beijing and the United States, and COVID-19 related restrictions, led to a record-low 16 million viewers for the Opening Ceremonies. 
According to <a href="https://nbcsportsgrouppressbox.com/2022/02/05/nbc-olympics-friday-coverage-featuring-first-ever-full-day-presentation-of-winter-games-opening-ceremony-averages-nearly-16-million-viewers/">NBC Sports</a>, the Opening Ceremony drew just 16 million viewers, which included people watching on NBC’s streaming service, Peacock. Per <a href="https://www.axios.com/olympics-opening-ceremony-viewership-beijing-95881331-6483-45ee-a074-d09e82a65699.html">Axios</a>, the 16 million total viewers put the 2022 Opening Ceremony 43% down from the Opening Ceremony at the 2018 Winter Games.
“Including viewership across digital platforms — like NBC’s streaming service Peacock and the NBC sports app — NBC Sports says the event drew 16 million viewers total,” Axios <a href="https://www.axios.com/olympics-opening-ceremony-viewership-beijing-95881331-6483-45ee-a074-d09e82a65699.html">wrote</a>. “That’s down about 43% from the 23.8 million people who watched the opening ceremony for the last winter Games in Pyeongchang in 2018.”
Ratings for the Olympics have been plummeting for years, but the selection of Beijing as the host of the 2022 Winter Games certainly made an impact on viewership. 
The 2026 Winter Olympics will be hosted by Milan and Cortina, Italy.
Joe Morgan is the Sports Reporter for The Daily Wire. Most recently, Morgan covered the Clippers, Lakers, and the NBA for Sporting News. Send your sports questions to sports@dailywire.com.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/1-fauci" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.dailywire.com/episode/1-fauci&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1645454858076000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2iEmchV6duRTOSRV_kbMxw">China: The Enemy Within</a> is a new Daily Wire original docuseries about U.S. leaders allowing Chinese interests to overtake our policies, education, and culture. Stream the full series now exclusively at <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/1-fauci" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.dailywire.com/episode/1-fauci&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1645454858076000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2iEmchV6duRTOSRV_kbMxw">DailyWire.com</a>.

Officials And Athletes Leave Beijing

Report: Beijing Winter Olympics See Lowest Ever Ratings

Chances are, you hadn’t heard of Eileen Gu until this month, when the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics got underway. Gu, one of the most prominent freestyle skiing talents in the world, has mostly stayed under the radar until now. Perhaps it’s due to the continued decline in the popularity of the Olympics. Or maybe, it’s due to the mainstream media’s inability to figure out how to spin her story in order to match their left-wing narrative.  
Gu’s story is fascinating, yet shockingly, not completely unique. 
In 2019, the American 18-year-old elected to spurn her home country and represent China — her mother’s native country — in the 2022 Winter Olympics. Gu was born and raised in San Francisco, grew up and trained in America, and took advantage of every opportunity afforded to citizens of the United States. The training and coaching she received in the States allowed her to compete at the highest level in her sport.
Gu is not the only athlete to turn her back on her country in order to represent another nation, but due to the country she now represents, it feels more egregious.
Professional tennis player Naomi Osaka is a product of the U.S., but chose to represent her birth country of Japan in her Olympic and professional career. Osaka was at least born in Japan, while still using every opportunity in the U.S. to become an elite athlete. The thing is, Japan isn’t a communist country and doesn’t completely contradict America’s values in the way China does. America is not in geopolitical war with Japan as we are with China. China’s government is one of a communist regime and an ideology that Americans would overwhelmingly denounce in the recent past. 
It&#8217;s not just that we lost a shot at a medal with the loss of Gu — we are and she already has won a gold medal in the Beijing Olympics — but rather what this switch represents. 
Gu represents our current culture, allowing the world to see where we are as a country. It shows that we are lost as a nation, one that has forgotten where it came from. 
If you search for this story online, you’ll read headlines such as “Risk-taker Eileen Gu makes China an Olympic force on snow,” or “Eileen Gu Is Trying to Soar Over the Geopolitical Divide” from the New York Times. 
In her Instagram post announcing the jump to representing China, Gu said she “hopes to unite people, promote common understanding, create communication, and forge friendships between nations.” Her decision is being romanticized, marginalizing the notion of pride in one’s home country, and completely ignoring the atrocities and human rights violations in China. Gu repeated these platitudes about bringing people together through sport during her post-medal conference, yet abandoning the country that raised you will not help those suffering from a communist and tyrannical regime, but rather further lead people into ignorance.
The Olympics used to be a time for athletes to proudly represent their country and compete in its honor. The 1980 Olympic games were the perfect example, now viewed as so much more than an athletic competition. 
In 1980, the Cold War was in full effect and the Soviet Union was seen as the enemy both on and off the ice. The friction between the U.S. and the USSR was most apparent in the hockey arena, and the battle between the two superpowers was taking place on U.S. soil in Lake Placid, New York.
Patriotism had never been as palpable as it was at the semifinals game that later became known as the “Miracle on Ice.” It was a time when American athletes understood what an honor it was to compete for their country and chose to fight for what they  believed in. The Olympics have always been more than just an athletic competition, they’ve  been an opportunity to show pride in one’s country, to show the world all that it represents. For Americans, it’s been about displaying the power of democracy. It’s been about setting an example for the rest of the world on how democracy can create the greatest superpower in the history of the world. But Gu’s decision to represent China runs counter to that belief. It’s a slap in the face to the very country that made her who she is. The country that granted her the opportunity to compete in the Olympics. 
As a culture, we now demonize what America represents, using its original sin to weaken our position on the world stage. Gu is the result of allowing that kind of rhetoric to spread. Sure, Gu’s traitorous act may be a stunt, or a way to be a bigger fish in a less athletic pond. But it doesn’t change the fact that she’s making us look like fools on the world stage. 
The views expressed in this opinion piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Medal Ceremony – Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics Day 4

She Was Born And Raised In America, Now She’s Winning Medals For China

The 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing saw bitter cold, with temperatures so frigid that the male participants needed to be concerned about a certain appendage. 
On Saturday, Finnish cross-country skier Remi Lindholm reportedly suffered a frozen penis during the men’s 50km mass start race.
&#8220;You can guess which body part was a little bit frozen when I finished [the men&#8217;s Olympic 50km race]&#8230;it was one of the worst competitions I&#8217;ve been in. It was just about battling through,&#8221; Lindholm <a href="https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/sports/cross-country-skiing-finn-remi-suffers-frozen-penis-mass-start-race-2022-02-20/">told</a> Finnish media.
Due to weather conditions, the race was delayed an hour and then shortened to 30km.
&#8220;When the body parts started to warm up after the finish, the pain was unbearable,&#8221; he <a href="https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/sports/cross-country-skiing-finn-remi-suffers-frozen-penis-mass-start-race-2022-02-20/">added</a>.
On Sunday in Beijing, the 2022 Winter Olympics came to an end with the Closing Ceremonies. It was an Olympics filled with political issues and controversy. 
The beginning of the games, the Opening Ceremonies, saw China make the controversial decision with who would be lighting the Olympic cauldron, reportedly selecting a Chinese athlete with a Uyghur last name to do the honors. According to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/04/sports/olympics/cauldron-lighting-opening-ceremony-uyghur-china.html">The New York Times</a>, the athlete was Dinigeer Yilamujiang, a cross-country skier with Uyghur roots. 
“This moment is quite provocative,” Savannah Guthrie of NBC <a href="https://twitter.com/jacksonrichman/status/1489621836782518272?s=20&amp;t=034rv4p20-m_y5n7UqabXQ">said</a>. “It’s a statement from the Chinese president, Xi Jinping, to choose an athlete from the Uyghur minority. It is an in-your face response to those western nations, including the U.S., who have called this Chinese treatment of that group genocide, and diplomatically boycotted these games.”
In December, the Biden administration announced a diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Games, citing the PRC’s “crimes against humanity” and “ongoing genocide” as to why the U.S. would not be sending any official representation to Beijing. 
Also in the first week of the Olympics, the medal ceremony for the team figure skating event was delayed due to a positive drug test from the gold medal-winning Russian team.
It quickly emerged that 15-year-old Russian skater Kamila Valieva reportedly tested positive for a banned substance. According to Russian media, the substance was trimetazidine, used to treat chest pain, and was found in a sample collected two months prior to the Olympics.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) declined to provisionally suspend Valieva, citing her age, the timing of the failed test, and the threat of “irreparable harm” to the athlete. The decision to allow Valieva to continue competing outraged many with the Olympic community. 
NBC commentators Johnny Weir and Tara Lipinski expressed their disappointment in the decision to allow Valieva to skate. 
“We have to remind ourselves that she is just 15 years old, a minor, and I know more than anyone what it’s like to compete at an Olympic Games at 15 years old,” Lipinski <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/olympics/2022/02/15/johnny-weir-tara-lipinski-kamila-valieva/">told</a> viewers. “But a positive [drug] test is a positive test. She cannot skate.”
“The Olympics were everything that I ever dreamed about, everything that kept me going on the day-to-day,” Weir <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/olympics/2022/02/15/johnny-weir-tara-lipinski-kamila-valieva/">said</a>, “and to have that experience and that feeling … diminished because of a positive drug test on one of your competitors when everyone else adheres to the rules … it’s a slap in the face to every other skater.”
Joe Morgan is the Sports Reporter for The Daily Wire. Most recently, Morgan covered the Clippers, Lakers, and the NBA for Sporting News. Send your sports questions to sports@dailywire.com.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/1-fauci" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.dailywire.com/episode/1-fauci&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1645454858076000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2iEmchV6duRTOSRV_kbMxw">China: The Enemy Within</a> is a new Daily Wire original docuseries about U.S. leaders allowing Chinese interests to overtake our policies, education, and culture. Stream the full series now exclusively at <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/1-fauci" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.dailywire.com/episode/1-fauci&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1645454858076000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2iEmchV6duRTOSRV_kbMxw">DailyWire.com</a>

CHINA-ZHANGJIAKOU-OLYMPIC WINTER GAMES-CROSS-COUNTRY SKIING-WOMEN’S 30KM MASS START FREE (CN)

‘Unbearable’: Olympic Cross-Country Skier Suffers ‘Frozen Penis’

Communist China

American-born Chinese skier Eileen Gu has made history. On Friday, Gu became the first freestyle skier to win three medals at a single Olympic Games, taking home the gold medal in the women’s freeski halfpipe. 
Gu, born and raised in San Francisco, made the decision to compete under her mother’s home country of China in 2019, placing herself squarely in the spotlight as relations between China and the United States have increasingly become more tense.  
Many have questioned her decision, citing the benefits Gu received growing up in the U.S., and practicing with Team USA, along with the moral issues that come with competing under the Chinese communist flag. 
But Gu has largely avoided the questions, going about her business on the slopes. 
On Friday, Gu won her second gold medal of the Beijing Winter Olympics with the two highest scores of the event. Cassie Sharp and Rachael Karker of Canada took home silver and bronze. 
“It has been more than what I imagined,” Gu said after the event. “I cannot believe I’m walking out of my first Olympics with two gold medals and a silver medal. Eileen Gu, three-time Olympic medalist. That’s just insane for me to think about.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
&quot;Eileen Gu, three-time Olympic medalist, like that just is insane for me to think about.&quot;
The 18-year-old reacts to leaving the 2022 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WinterOlympics?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WinterOlympics</a> with three medals. <a href="https://twitter.com/OnHerTurf?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@OnHerTurf</a> <a href="https://t.co/1IH53f6GJx">pic.twitter.com/1IH53f6GJx</a>
&mdash; NBC Olympics &amp; Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBCOlympics/status/1494535509250564107?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 18, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
“Just like this all coming together, years and years in the making and it’s like letting out a deep breath. I feel exhausted. I mean, God, from opening ceremony until now I’ve been skiing every single day so I’m really tired, but I feel at peace. I feel grateful. I feel passionate, and I feel proud,” Gu <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/18/sport/eileen-gu-halfpipe-gold-olympics-intl-hnk-spt/index.html">told</a> reporters. 
Gu’s fame in China will only continue to grow with her success at the Beijing Games, following a year in which she reportedly <a href="https://www.insider.com/skier-eileen-gu-makes-millions-endorsement-deals-gusanity-2022-2">made</a> over $31 million in endorsements. She’s become the poster child for Chinese sports, which has raised questions from the media. 
Following her first gold medal at the Olympics, Gu was asked about the status of her U.S. citizenship, considering that China does not allow dual citizenship. 
“I’ve always been super outspoken about my gratitude to the U.S., especially the U.S. team,” Gu <a href="https://www.si.com/olympics/2022/02/08/eileen-gu-big-air-gold-medal-china-citizenship-status">said</a> when asked if she had to give up her U.S. citizenship to compete for China. “I feel as though they’ve helped me out so much in my development, they continue to support me. And same with the Chinese team. They’ve always been super supportive and they’ve helped me so much. And so in that sense, I think that that speaks volumes to the ability of sport to bridge the gap and to be a force for unity.”
When pressed to answer the question by another reporter, Gu dodged the question by saying she’s “a kid.”
“Yeah, um, first of all, I’m an 18-year old girl,” Gu <a href="https://www.si.com/olympics/2022/02/08/eileen-gu-big-air-gold-medal-china-citizenship-status">said</a> when pressed to answer. “I’m a kid. I haven’t even gone to college yet. I’m a pretty normal person . . .” 
“If people don’t have a good heart, they won’t believe me, because they can’t empathize with people who do have a good heart,” she continued. “And so in that sense, I feel as though it’s a lot easier to block out the hate now. And also, they’re never going to know what it feels like to win an Olympic gold medal.”
Joe Morgan is the Sports Reporter for The Daily Wire. Most recently, Morgan covered the Clippers, Lakers, and the NBA for Sporting News. Send your sports questions to sports@dailywire.com.
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Freestyle Skiing – Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics Day 14

Eileen Gu Goes Third Person: ‘Eileen Gu, Three-Time Olympic Medalist. That’s Just Insane’

Eileen Gu

U.S. pairs figure skater Timothy LeDuc is the first openly &#8220;nonbinary&#8221; athlete to compete in the Winter Olympics, meaning he does not identify as male or female.
Openly gay LeDuc, standing at six-foot-one and rocking a beard, goes by &#8220;they/them&#8221; pronouns and claims he&#8217;s trying to break through gendered stereotypes within figure skating to achieve &#8220;authenticity.&#8221;
“We’ve all been socialized in the same way to believe there is a man and a woman and everybody is going to fit neatly into those categories, so I am also learning with everyone else,” LeDuc said, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/olympics/2022/02/17/timothy-leduc-nonbinary-pairs-figure-skating-olympics/">according</a> to The Washington Post. “I understand there is [a need] to take time out to explain and help everyone understand, but I’m willing to do it and I’m happy to do it because I know it helps push the conversation forward and makes the paths of other queer and nonbinary people coming into sport maybe a little easier.”
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“Sex and gender are different things, and also gender expression is different from gender,” the figure skater claimed. “Gender is more an internal sense of self as a man, woman, both or neither. Gender expression can be an extension of that, but it doesn’t always have to be. Yes, I have a beard, but in competition, I wear makeup. And for me as my experience with gender, I portray parts of masculinity and manhood, but I also feel a connection to femininity, [and] it’s just the process of letting that out and letting people see that.&#8221;
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“I think people will focus too much on physical characteristics and focus too much on the gender binary and the sex binary, but what we know from science is people exist out of those binaries both in sex and gender,&#8221; the athlete added.
LeDuc and his figure skating partner Ashley Cain-Gribble say they&#8217;re taking on figure skating norms together. Cain-Gribble noted that she&#8217;s five-foot-six, which is generally tall for a female figure skater.
“I’ve had a lot of people tell me that I shouldn’t be in this sport because of the way my body is shaped,” she said. “But this is my body, and this is who I am. And it was really hard to accept that for a long time. … It has taken me a long time to get where I am and loving my body — and it’s not every day. I still have struggles.”
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And then there are the &#8220;gender roles&#8221; in the sport, the pair discussed.
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“There’s nothing inherently wrong with a romantic story being told on the ice, a Romeo-and-Juliet story being told,” LeDuc said. “The problem comes when that is centralized or seen as the standard for success and then anything that doesn’t fit that is seen as less than or second class.”
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&#8220;Together, LeDuc and Cain-Gribble have tried to attack those standards in subtle ways,&#8221; The Post praised. &#8220;LeDuc still lifts Cain-Gribble, but they competed this year in matching shirts and long pants, and they both skate almost as much as the other as opposed to LeDuc standing around and hoisting Cain-Gribble in the air.&#8221;
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LeDuc said he has the &#8220;title&#8221; as the &#8220;first nonbinary Winter Olympian,&#8221; but added, “I’m here as an athlete first.”
During the Summer Olympics, transgender BMX freestyle rider <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/u-s-trans-olympic-athlete-my-goal-is-to-win-the-olympics-so-i-can-burn-a-u-s-flag-on-the-podium">Chelsea Wolfe</a> drew attention over an unearthed Facebook post that said, “My goal is to win the Olympics so I can burn a US flag on the podium.”
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“One of the reasons why I work so hard to represent the United States in international competition is to show the world that this country has morals and values, that it’s not all of the bad things that we’re known for,” Wolfe claimed, following backlash. “I take a stand against fascism because I care about this country and I’m not going to let it fall into the hands of fascists after so many people have fought and sacrificed to prevent fascism from taking hold abroad. As a citizen who wants to be proud of my home country, I’m sure as hell not going to let it take hold here.”
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/u-s-trans-olympic-athlete-my-goal-is-to-win-the-olympics-so-i-can-burn-a-u-s-flag-on-the-podium">U.S. Trans Olympic Athlete: ‘My Goal Is To Win The Olympics So I Can Burn A U.S. Flag On The Podium’</a>
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/first-openly-transgender-athlete-will-compete-in-olympics-after-dominating-female-weightlifting-competitions">First Openly Transgender Athlete Will Compete In Olympics After Dominating Female Weightlifting Competitions</a>
The Daily Wire’s first original film, Shut In, has made its cinematic debut, being met with rave reviews. The Daily Wire is building an alternative to the leftist entertainment industry, one gripping movie at a time. Join us in this mission and stream Shut In today by becoming a Daily Wire <a class="in-cell-link" href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe" target="_blank" rel="noopener">member</a>.
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Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics – Figure Skating

U.S. Skater Becomes First ‘Nonbinary’ Winter Olympian: ‘Been Socialized’ ‘To Believe There’s A Man And A Woman’

Beijing Olympics spokesperson Yan Jiarong insisted that concerns about genocide against Uyghurs are “lies.”
During a news conference on Thursday, three days before the conclusion of the Games, organizers’ “persistent and polite refusal to answer such questions gave way to the usual state of affairs at news conferences with Chinese officials — emphatic, calibrated answers about the country’s most sensitive situations,” the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/winter-olympics-china-politics-taiwan-uyghurs-33a2c2059fb253091b6772de3895207a">Associated Press</a> reported.
“I think these questions are based on lies,” Yan <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2022/feb/17/beijing-2022-organisers-claim-stories-of-xinjiang-human-rights-abuses-are-lies">said</a> with respect to concentration camps in Xinjiang. “Some authorities have already disputed such false information with a lot of solid evidence. You are very welcome to refer to all that evidence and facts.”
Yan also repeated Chinese Communist Party talking points with respect to the status of Taiwan.
“Taiwan is an indivisible part of China and this is a well recognized international principle and well recognized in the international community,” she insisted. “We are always against the idea of politicizing the Olympic Games.”
Meanwhile, International Olympic Committee spokesman Mark Adams denied any association between the Games and the Uyghur genocide. Another reporter asked whether garments used in the Olympics were made with forced labor. “None of the production took place in Xinjiang, nor any of the input of raw materials comes from that region,” Adams replied.
When pressed by a reporter who suggested that Yan had “politicized” the Games by mentioning China’s view of Taiwan, Adams responded that “there are views on all sorts of things around the world, but our job is to make sure that the Games take place.”
“I think the so-called forced labor in Xinjiang are lies made up by deliberate groups,” Yan offered. “And the relevant organizations have provided a large amount of facts to dispute that. And we are against the politicization of sports.”
The IOC, however, claims to uphold human rights. According to its <a href="https://olympics.com/ioc/human-rights">website</a>:
<blockquote>The IOC is committed to improving the promotion and respect of human rights within the scope of its responsibility across its three spheres of activity — as an organisation, as the owner of the Olympic Games and as the leader of the Olympic Movement.
The objective is to ensure that people’s rights are put at the core of our operations and are respected in line with international agreements and standards — within the IOC’s remit.</blockquote>
The reality of Chinese human rights abuses has driven much controversy about the Games among competing nations. Canada, Australia, and the United States are participating in diplomatic <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-canada-joins-u-s-in-diplomatic-boycott-of-2022-winter-olympic-games-in-beijing">boycotts</a>, refusing to send government officials in light of “ongoing genocide and crimes against humanity,” according to White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki.
“The athletes on Team USA have our full support, we’ll be behind them 100% as we cheer them on from home. We will not be contributing to the fanfare of the Games,” Psaki added.
The Daily Wire’s first original film, Shut In, has made its cinematic debut, being met with rave reviews. The Daily Wire is building an alternative to the leftist entertainment industry, one gripping movie at a time. Join us in this mission and stream Shut In today by becoming a Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.

Opening Ceremony – Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics Day 0

Beijing Olympics Organizers Dismiss Concerns About Uyghur Genocide As ‘Lies’

Uyghur

There will be a medal ceremony in the women’s individual figure skating event. 
Controversial Russian skater Kamila Valieva finished fourth in the event, after a disastrous performance in the women’s free skate. Valieva entered the free skate atop the standings, but stumbled in her free skate performance, ending with the 15-year-old star in tears. 
Valieva&#8217;s presence at the Beijing Olympics has been quite controversial following the news that she tested positive for a banned substance prior to the start of the Winter Games. 
Last Wednesday, the medal ceremony for the team figure skating event was delayed due to a reported positive drug test from the gold medal-winning Russian team.
It quickly emerged that Valieva reportedly tested positive for a banned substance. According to Russian media, the substance was trimetazidine, used to treat chest pain, and was found in a sample collected two months prior to the Olympics.
On Monday, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) declined to provisionally suspend Valieva, citing her age, the timing of the failed test, and the threat of “irreparable harm” to the athlete. 
“The Panel considered fundamental principles of fairness, proportionality, irreparable harm, and the relative balance of interests as between the Applicants and the Athlete, who did not test positive during the Olympic Games in Beijing and is still subject to a disciplinary procedure on the merits following the positive anti-doping test undertaken in December 2021; in particular, the Panel considered that preventing the Athlete from competing at the Olympic Games would cause her irreparable harm in these circumstances,” the CAS <a href="https://www.tas-cas.org/fileadmin/user_upload/CAS_Ad_Hoc_Media_Release_Beijing_8.pdf">said</a> in a media release. 
In an unprecedented move, the International Olympic Committee announced that should Valieva win another gold medal, no medal ceremony would be held. 
Due to Valieva not medaling, there will be a medal ceremony for the winners of the women’s individual figure skating event. Anna Shcherbakova and Alexandra Trusova of the Russian Olympic Committee took home gold and silver, while Kaori Sakamoto of Japan was awarded the bronze medal. 
On Tuesday, it emerged that Valieva blamed the positive test on her grandfather’s heart medication, saying that the amount of banned substance in her system was negligible and that it entered into her system accidentally.
“There can be completely different ways how it [trimetazidine] got [into Valieva’s body],” Valieva’s lawyers <a href="https://dossier.center/kamila/">said</a>. “For example, grandfather drank something from a glass, saliva got in, this glass was somehow later used by an athlete. Or the drug lay down on some surface, traces remained, then the drug lay down on this surface, which the athlete then drank.”
A decision will be made on Russia’s team figure skating gold medal once the case has been resolved, which could take months. 
“It’s definitely tough with the situation that has been unfolding, and probably continuing to unfold, to stay focused because there’s so much buzz around this event,” American skater Karen Chen <a href="https://sports.yahoo.com/kamila-valieva-falters-in-womens-free-skate-fails-to-medal-140503416.html">said</a> after her performance. “It’s really hard to stay focused.”
Joe Morgan is the Sports Reporter for The Daily Wire. Most recently, Morgan covered the Clippers, Lakers, and the NBA for Sporting News. Send your sports questions to sports@dailywire.com.
The Daily Wire’s first original film, Shut In, has made its cinematic debut, being met with rave reviews. The Daily Wire is building an alternative to the leftist entertainment industry, one gripping movie at a time. Join us in this mission and stream Shut In today by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">Daily Wire member</a>.

Figure Skating – Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics Day 13

15-Year-Old Russian Olympian Fails To Medal Amid Doping Scandal Criticism

Olympics

<span data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;Eileen Gu just plugged her instagram on Weibo. Instagram is banned in China&quot;}" data-sheets-userformat="{&quot;2&quot;:515,&quot;3&quot;:{&quot;1&quot;:0},&quot;4&quot;:{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:16776960},&quot;12&quot;:0}">American-born 18-year-old skier Eileen Gu, competing for China at the 2022 Olympics, has been plugging her Instagram handle on Chinese social media platform Weibo. 
<span data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;Eileen Gu just plugged her instagram on Weibo. Instagram is banned in China&quot;}" data-sheets-userformat="{&quot;2&quot;:515,&quot;3&quot;:{&quot;1&quot;:0},&quot;4&quot;:{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:16776960},&quot;12&quot;:0}">Only Instagram, as well as some other Western social media platforms, are banned in Communist China through the country&#8217;s so-called &#8220;Great Firewall.&#8221; 
&#8220;Eileen Gu&#8217;s shared her Instagram handle on Weibo. Only the platform is blocked in China,&#8221; BBC reporter Kerry Allen posted to Twitter, Wednesday.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Eileen Gu&#39;s shared her Instagram handle on Weibo. Only the platform is blocked in China. <a href="https://t.co/anFp40cQ7E">pic.twitter.com/anFp40cQ7E</a>
&mdash; Kerry Allen 凯丽 (@kerrya11en) <a href="https://twitter.com/kerrya11en/status/1493923288631984135?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 16, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The 18-year-old has apparently made a habit of promoting her Instagram account on Weibo. &#8220;Seems she&#8217;s done this a fair bit,&#8221; Allen posted, captioning screenshots of Gu&#8217;s plugs.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Seems she&#39;s done this a fair bit <a href="https://t.co/qWV8wR7j8f">pic.twitter.com/qWV8wR7j8f</a>
&mdash; Kerry Allen 凯丽 (@kerrya11en) <a href="https://twitter.com/kerrya11en/status/1493924546449129473?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 16, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Gu has been making waves over apparent special treatment she&#8217;s received by the communist regime. The teenager was confronted last week by a social media user about Gu&#8217;s use of Instagram, for example.
“Why can you use Instagram and millions of Chinese people from mainland cannot, why you got such special treatment as a Chinese citizen. That’s not fair, can you speak up for those millions of Chinese who don’t have internet freedom,” user “cilla chan” <a href="https://sports.yahoo.com/eileen-gus-instagram-comment-causes-fury-in-china-115439434.html">posted</a>.
“Anyone can download a vpn [virtual private network],” Gu replied. &#8220;It’s literally free on the App Store.&#8221;
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/eileen-gu-posts-to-app-banned-in-communist-china-gives-tone-deaf-advice-when-criticized">The Daily Wire</a> highlighted how Gu&#8217;s response sparked outrage online, since many VPNs are illegal and hard to find in China.
“Literally, I’m not ‘anyone,’” one user <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/12/sports/olympics/eileen-gu-instagram-vpn-china.html">replied</a> to Gu. &#8220;Literally, it is illegal for me to use a VPN.”
Rumors have also swirled around the teenager&#8217;s citizenship, since China does not allow athletes to compete for their country with dual citizenship. It&#8217;s unclear if an exception was made for Gu, who has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/eileen-gu-posts-to-app-banned-in-communist-china-gives-tone-deaf-advice-when-criticized">refused</a> to give a straightforward answer about the matter.
“I’ve always been super outspoken about my gratitude to the U.S., especially the U.S. team,” Gu <a href="https://www.si.com/olympics/2022/02/08/eileen-gu-big-air-gold-medal-china-citizenship-status">said</a> when pressed about the status of her U.S. citizenship. “I feel as though they’ve helped me out so much in my development, they continue to support me. And same with the Chinese team. They’ve always been super supportive and they’ve helped me so much. And so in that sense, I think that that speaks volumes to the ability of sport to bridge the gap and to be a force for unity.”
Asked for clarification, Gu gave a <a href="https://www.si.com/olympics/2022/02/08/eileen-gu-big-air-gold-medal-china-citizenship-status">confusing response</a>.
“Yeah, um, first of all, I&#8217;m an 18-year old girl. I&#8217;m a kid. I haven&#8217;t even gone to college yet. I&#8217;m a pretty normal person,&#8221; the athlete started. “&#8230; If people don&#8217;t have a good heart, they won&#8217;t believe me, because they can&#8217;t empathize with people who do have a good heart. And so in that sense, I feel as though it&#8217;s a lot easier to block out the hate now. And also, they&#8217;re never going to know what it feels like to win an Olympic gold medal.”
A writer for Sports Illustrated last week <a href="https://www.si.com/olympics/2022/02/08/eileen-gu-big-air-gold-medal-china-citizenship-status">asserted</a> that there&#8217;s &#8220;something chilling about the Chinese government using Gu as a PR weapon.&#8221;
&#8220;China is facing increasing and deserved pressure for its atrocious human-rights record, and squelching of political dissent and religious freedom, and it is deploying an 18-year-old girl from San Francisco as a shield,&#8221; the outlet noted.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/eileen-gu-posts-to-app-banned-in-communist-china-gives-tone-deaf-advice-when-criticized">Eileen Gu Posts To App Banned In Communist China, Gives Tone-Deaf Advice When Criticized</a>
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/american-skier-competing-for-communist-china-refuses-to-answer-whether-she-gave-up-u-s-citizenship">American Skier Competing For Communist China Refuses To Answer Whether She Gave Up U.S. Citizenship</a>
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/swiss-skier-beats-eileen-gu-american-competing-for-communist-china-for-slopestyle-gold">Swiss Skier Beats Eileen Gu, American Competing For Communist China, For Slopestyle Gold</a>
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Freestyle Skiing – Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics Day 11

American-Born Eileen Gu, Competing For China, Uses Chinese Platform To Plug App Banned In China

Instagram

Eileen Gu has become the Chinese poster child for the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. Even though Gu is American, born and raised in San Francisco, she chose to represent her mother’s home country instead of Team USA, making the decision to represent China in 2019. 
Not surprisingly, the American-born Chinese skier has faced a wave of backlash online for her decision to spurn Team USA in order to compete for China. But now, she’s facing criticism from the very country she represents. 
Chinese citizens are blocked from using the majority of mainstream Western social media platforms like Twitter and Instagram, a government system known as China’s “Great Firewall.” 
Prior to her gold medal in the women&#8217;s big air competition, Gu posted to Instagram, to which a user noted the “special treatment” that Gu receives by being able to access Instagram. The following exchange was deleted, but not before being captured by a screenshot. 
“Why can you use Instagram and millions of Chinese people from mainland cannot, why you got such special treatment as a Chinese citizen. That’s not fair, can you speak up for those millions of Chinese who don’t have internet freedom,” the commentator <a href="https://sports.yahoo.com/eileen-gus-instagram-comment-causes-fury-in-china-115439434.html">asked</a>, according to Yahoo Sports.  
“Anyone can download a VPN,” Gu replied. “It’s literally free on the App Store.”
Gu’s response to the Instagram user has drawn scorn, as many VPNs are illegal and hard to find in China. 
“Literally, I’m not ‘anyone,’” one user <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/12/sports/olympics/eileen-gu-instagram-vpn-china.html">wrote</a>, according to The New York Times. “Literally, it is illegal for me to use a VPN.”
Last week, Gu won her first gold medal of her Olympic career, landing the first 1620 of her career to win the women’s big air competition. 
Following the win, Gu had to face the music regarding her U.S. citizenship status, but she was unwilling to give a straightforward answer. 
“I’ve always been super outspoken about my gratitude to the U.S., especially the U.S. team,” Gu <a href="https://www.si.com/olympics/2022/02/08/eileen-gu-big-air-gold-medal-china-citizenship-status">said</a> when asked if she had to give up her U.S. citizenship to compete for China. “I feel as though they’ve helped me out so much in my development, they continue to support me. And same with the Chinese team. They’ve always been super supportive and they’ve helped me so much. And so in that sense, I think that that speaks volumes to the ability of sport to bridge the gap and to be a force for unity.”
China does not allow dual citizenship, meaning that Gu would have had to give up her U.S. citizenship in order to compete, or China made an exception in order to allow Gu to compete on the Chinese Olympic roster. 
“Yeah, um, first of all, I’m an 18-year old girl,” Gu <a href="https://www.si.com/olympics/2022/02/08/eileen-gu-big-air-gold-medal-china-citizenship-status">said</a> when pressed to answer. “I’m a kid. I haven’t even gone to college yet. I’m a pretty normal person . . .” 
“If people don’t have a good heart, they won’t believe me, because they can’t empathize with people who do have a good heart,” she continued. “And so in that sense, I feel as though it’s a lot easier to block out the hate now. And also, they’re never going to know what it feels like to win an Olympic gold medal.”
Gu will participate in the final of the women’s slopestyle event on Tuesday. 
Joe Morgan is the Sports Reporter for The Daily Wire. Most recently, Morgan covered the Clippers, Lakers, and the NBA for Sporting News. Send your sports questions to sports@dailywire.com.
The Daily Wire’s first original film, Shut In, has made its cinematic debut, being met with rave reviews. The Daily Wire is building an alternative to the leftist entertainment industry, one gripping movie at a time. Join us in this mission and stream Shut In today by becoming a Daily Wire <a class="in-cell-link" href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe" target="_blank" rel="noopener">member</a>.

Snowboard – Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics – Day 6

Eileen Gu Posts To App Banned In Communist China, Gives Tone-Deaf Advice When Criticized

Chinese Communist Party

Despite a pre-Olympics failed drug test, Russian figure skating sensation Kamila Valieva has been cleared to continue competing at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. 
On Monday, the Court of Arbitration for Sport declined to provisionally suspend Valieva, citing her age, the timing of the failed test, and the threat of “irreparable harm” to the athlete. 
“The Panel considered fundamental principles of fairness, proportionality, irreparable harm, and the relative balance of interests as between the Applicants and the Athlete, who did not test positive during the Olympic Games in Beijing and is still subject to a disciplinary procedure on the merits following the positive anti-doping test undertaken in December 2021; in particular, the Panel considered that preventing the Athlete from competing at the Olympic Games would cause her irreparable harm in these circumstances,” the CAS <a href="https://www.tas-cas.org/fileadmin/user_upload/CAS_Ad_Hoc_Media_Release_Beijing_8.pdf">said</a> in a media release. 
In an unprecedented move, the International Olympic Committee announced that should Valieva win another gold medal, no medal ceremony would be held.  A decision will be made on Russia’s team figure skating gold medal once the case has been resolved, which could take months. 
“Should Ms. Valieva finish amongst the top three competitors in the women’s singles skating competition, no flower ceremony and no medal ceremony will take place during the Olympic Winter Games,” the Olympic committee <a href="https://archive.is/XfUjN#selection-645.0-645.239">said</a> in a statement. 
Valieva will be competing on Tuesday in Beijing in the women’s singles event. 
Last Wednesday, the medal ceremony for the team figure skating event was delayed due to a reported positive drug test from the gold medal-winning Russian team.
“We have athletes that have won medals involved,” IOC spokesperson Mark Adams <a href="https://www.espn.com/olympics/story/_/id/33249419/team-figure-skating-medal-ceremony-beijing-olympics-delayed-legal-issue">said</a> at the daily news briefing. Adams said that “legal consultation” was required before any medals could be presented.
“Everyone is doing absolutely everything that the situation can be resolved as soon as possible,” Adams <a href="https://www.espn.com/olympics/story/_/id/33249419/team-figure-skating-medal-ceremony-beijing-olympics-delayed-legal-issue">said</a>, though he cautioned, “as you know, legal issues can sometimes drag on.”
It quickly emerged that the 15-year-old Russian figure skater reportedly tested positive for a banned substance. According to Russian media, the substance was trimetazidine, used to treat chest pain, and was found in a sample collected two months prior to the Olympics.
According to <a href="https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/sports/russian-paper-says-figure-skater-valieva-tested-positive-angina-drug-2022-02-09/?taid=62040a86a5425c000137a619&amp;utm_campaign=trueAnthem:+Trending+Content&amp;utm_medium=trueAnthem&amp;utm_source=twitter">Reuters</a>, “Trimetazidine is listed on the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA) list of metabolic modulators and is prohibited both in and out of competition.” It is used in order to treat angina, which causes severe pain in the chest.
The United States finished second in the event, followed by the team from Japan. Due to Valieva’s age, she is considered a “protected person” by the World Anti-Doping Agency, meaning the agency is not required to release the name of the individual who tested positive.
Following the announcement by the CAS, the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee expressed their disappointment in the decision. 
It is the collective responsibility of the entire Olympic community to protect the integrity of sport and to hold our athletes, coaches and all involved to the highest of standards,&#8221; USOPC CEO Sarah Hirshland <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/olympics/beijing/2022/02/14/kamila-valieva-winter-olympics-figure-skating-cleared/6764546001/">said</a>. &#8220;Athletes have the right to know they are competing on a level playing field. Unfortunately, today that right is being denied. This appears to be another chapter in the systemic and pervasive disregard for clean sport by Russia.&#8221;
Joe Morgan is the Sports Reporter for The Daily Wire. Most recently, Morgan covered the Clippers, Lakers, and the NBA for Sporting News. Send your sports questions to sports@dailywire.com.
The Daily Wire’s first original film, Shut In, has made its cinematic debut, being met with rave reviews. The Daily Wire is building an alternative to the leftist entertainment industry, one gripping movie at a time. Join us in this mission and stream Shut In today by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">Daily Wire member</a>.

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