IOC President Thomas Bach ‘very disturbed’ by Kamila Valieva’s struggles, criticizes teen’s entourage

Beijing – Worldwide Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach stated on Friday it was “chilling” to witness Russian determine skater Kamila Valieva crumble below stress on the Beijing Olympics as a doping scandal continued to swirl, hitting out on the 15-year-old’s entourage.

The saga has opened up a debate about whether or not the Olympics are an appropriate setting for minors, however Bach stated the IOC had restricted technique of motion.

Valieva, who led the ladies’s determine skating occasion after the quick program, fell aside in her free skate on Thursday night time, tumbling all the way down to fourth place as compatriot Anna Shcherbakova skated to gold.

“I have to say, I used to be very, very disturbed yesterday after I watched the competitors on TV,” Bach informed a information convention.

“How excessive the stress on her should have been.”

Valieva failed a doping check at her nationwide championships in December, however the outcome was solely revealed on Feb. 8, a day after she had already helped the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) win the crew occasion.

The Russian Anti-Doping Company lifted a provisional ban on her and the Courtroom of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) rejected an enchantment by the IOC, the Worldwide Skating Union (ISU) and the World Anti-Doping Company (WADA) to re-instate the suspension on Monday — due to this fact permitting her to compete within the singles occasion on Tuesday and Thursday.

“To see her struggling on the ice, to see her, how she tries to compose herself once more, how then she tries to complete her program and you could possibly see in each motion, within the physique language, you could possibly really feel that that is immense, immense psychological stress and possibly she would have most well-liked to only depart the ice and attempt to depart this story behind her,” Bach stated.

Valieva left the ice hiding tears behind her palms and sobbed within the “kiss and cry” space as her coach, Eteri Tutberidze, confronted her.

“Why did you let it go? Clarify it to me, why? Why did you cease combating fully? Someplace after the axel you let it go,” Tutberidze stated.

“Once I noticed how she was obtained by the closest entourage with such an incredible coolness, it was chilling to see this,” Bach stated.

“Reasonably than giving her consolation, reasonably than to attempt to assist her, you could possibly really feel this chilling environment, this distance and in the event you have been deciphering the physique language of them, it acquired even worse as a result of this was even some sort of dismissive gestures.

“All of this doesn’t give me a lot confidence in Kamila’s closest entourage.”

Bach admitted the IOC, whereas it was addressing the matter, couldn’t do a lot to manage an athlete’s entourage.

“We see we’ve got extraordinarily restricted means to deal with it,” he stated. “We aren’t the police, we can not interrogate and have a proper prosecution process; and our sanctions are extraordinarily restricted.

“Ultimately, it’s a query the place we want the assist of governments.”