Tara Lipinski

2022 - 2 - 15

johnny weir

Post cover — Image courtesy of "NBC 10 Philadelphia"

Tara Lipinski's Outrage Over Olympic Figure Skating Doping ... (NBC 10 Philadelphia)

Olympic gold medalist Tara Lipinski says the decision to allow Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva to compete made her angry, confused and question everything ...

Documents also revealed that Valieva listed two competition-legal heart medications on an anti-doping form before the failed test came to light. Lipinski and Johnny Weir gave commentary over Valieva’s performance Tuesday in the women’s figure skating short program. Valieva’s failed drug test came to light after helping Russia win a gold medal in the team skating event last week.

Johnny Weir and Tara Lipinski Hold Back Comments but Not ... (The New York Times)

The NBC figure skating analysts were mostly silent during the performance of the embattled skater Kamila Valieva. “We should not have seen this skate,” ...

But along with the frustration and outrage, Lipinski, who made her debut in the Olympics when she was 15, has continued to note that Valieva is just a child. “And again I don’t think it should be happening.” In 1998, Lipinski won the gold medal, beating the favorite, Michelle Kwan of the United States. Weir was a two-time Olympian. “We should not have seen this skate,” she said. Where they would normally offer commentary on various jumps and spins, or add insider details about a skater’s style and history, Lipinski and Weir instead remained uncharacteristically quiet throughout the performance by Valieva, the 15-year-old Russian skater at the center of a doping scandal. Speaking for the other competitors, Lipinski reminded viewers of Valieva’s positive test.

Weir, Lipinski Express Outrage, Limit Commentary During Kamila ... (NBC Chicago)

Johnny Weir and Tara Lipinski were uncharacteristically quiet during Russian Olympic Committee skater Kamila Valieva's performance Tuesday morning.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled Monday after a hearing that Valieva did not need to be provisionally suspended ahead of a full investigation by the Russian Anti-Doping Agency that could take months to resolve. The Russian women are all coached by Eteri Tutberidze, the former ice dancer-turned-kingmaker who has been criticized for pushing young skaters to extreme limits in the pursuit of Olympic medals. "It's affecting everyone at these Olympic Games to think that there is going to be no medal ceremony in the ladies event if she's on the podium. Valieva landed the first quadruple jump by a woman at the Olympics, a feat that helped catapult the ROC's score to win gold in the teams event. For now, the Americans will leave Beijing unsure if they silver or gold. Valieva tested positive for the heart drug trimetazidine on Dec. 25 at the Russian nationals. The Russian anti-doping agency (RUSADA) immediately suspended her, then lifted the ban a day later. "It's not just about her skating or not skating," Lipinski said. The investigation into Valieva's doping scandal will focus on Tutberidze and the rest of the entourage that has surrounded the young skater in the lead-up to the Olympics. Weir added, "If you can't play fair, then you can't play, is my opinion on this. But if you don't play by the rules, then you should not be in this competition." "It makes you question everything," she said.

Tara Lipinski, Johnny Weir criticism: Commentary on Kamila Valieva ... (DraftKings Nation)

The voices of American figure skating don't hold back when it comes to the doping scandal of the 15-year-old Russian.

And as former athletes to know this is basically a rigged event, to the point the IOC has pre-canceled the medal ceremony. You can draw the line between the competitor and the fairness of the competition. Lipinski going on to acknowledge Valieva’s undeniable talent is also the right thing to do.

Johnny Weir and Tara Lipinski Said It All With Their Silence (The Cut)

The former skaters and Olympic commentators remained mostly quiet during Kamila Valieva's figure skating performance. Valieva was allowed to continue ...

“This is the hardest event I’ve ever had to cover,” Weir said in a video posted to Twitter after Valieva’s short program. “Seeing her on the Olympic ice right now with everything we discovered over the last week, I didn’t think it was going to happen,” Lipinski said, per the New York Times. “And again I don’t think it should be happening.” Ahead of Tuesday’s competition, Lipinski also tweeted about the doping scandal, expressing some sympathy for Valieva. “I’ve said this before, she’s just 15. This is a lot for a young person to handle,” Lipinski wrote, adding that she hopes that the adults who “faulted her are held ACCOUNTABLE.” The decision was made by the Court of Arbitration for Sport and goes against the wishes of both the IOC and the World Anti-Doping Agency, which said it was “disappointed” by the ruling. Lipinski previously called the 15-year-old representing the Russian Olympic Committee a “ once-in-a-lifetime talent.” However, her commentary during Tuesday’s competition was significantly less celebratory. On Monday, Valieva was cleared to compete while the investigation into her positive drug test continues.

Tara Lipinski and Johnny Weir kept quiet during Kamila Valieva's ... (AZCentral.com)

Tuesday, however, when Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva performed after failing a pre-Olympics drug test, they were uncharacteristically quiet. Don't ...

Yet while Gannon is right to tread a middle ground, Lipinski and Weir are getting paid not just for their expertise but their opinions. Terry Gannon, the equivalent of a play-by-play announcer for skating, tried to steer down the middle. (She tested positive for trimetazidine, a heart drug, on Dec. 25 at the Russian nationals.) When Valieva was done, she broke down in tears. Don’t misunderstand — this wasn’t Vin Scully letting the action speak for itself during a Los Angeles Dodgers game. Their enthusiasm for the sport they both excelled in is their calling card — each triple axel described as a miracle of science, grace and beauty.