On Friday (February 11), Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics testers confirmed that Russian skater Kamila Valieva tested positive for a banned substance. The International Testing Agency (ITA) announced in a statement that the case would be heard by the Court of Arbitration for Sport before Valieva’s participation in the individual event on February 15. Stanislav Pozdnyakov, the chief of the Russian Olympic Committee, told Russian media that he had ‘serious doubts’ over Valieva’s doping tests. The timing of sample processing raises serious questions, according to the RIA Novosti news agency. It looks like the sample was kept until the team skating tournament was over.
Food controversy
The Russian biathlon competitor Valeria Vasnetsova claims that the food served to athletes who tested positive for COVID-19 and spent time in quarantine is ‘inedible’ and ‘impossible’ to eat. In an Instagram post, she shared a photo of a tray of food, which included plain pasta, potatoes, charred meat on a bone and orange sauce. ‘My stomach hurts, I’m very pale and I have huge black circles around my eyes. I want all this to end. I cry every day. I’m very tired,’ Vasnetsova wrote on her Instagram. Sergei Averyanov, a spokesperson for the Russian biathlon team, confirmed better food was served to her.
Korean dress drama
Several South Koreans have expressed their frustration at seeing their traditional costume used in the opening ceremony of the event in China. China has denied the claim. Among those representing China’s different ethnic groups, a woman was spotted wearing what appeared to be a Korean hanbok dress during the opening ceremony. Despite that, some South Koreans have raised their voices against the recent alleged Chinese narrative that various aspects of Korean culture are of Chinese origin.
Politics and sports
The Olympic torch was carried by a soldier who participated in the border clash with India during the Torch Relay. According to China’s Global Times, the soldier was identified as Qi Fabao, a People’s Liberation Army (PLA) regiment commander. It was reported that he was wounded in a skirmish with India at the Galwan Valley border.
Athletes abused
Any sport has two sides, but in China, some athletes were criticized for their poor performances. Zhao Yi, a figure skater who gave up her American citizenship in 2018 to compete for China after falling during her Olympic programmes, faced backlash. After that, the hashtag ‘Zhu Yi has fallen’ became the top trend on Weibo. Several social media platforms in China, including Weibo and Douyin, have removed tens of thousands of posts relating to ‘illegal’ chatter and abuse directed at athletes.
Violation of human rights
China has been accused by some Western countries of ‘egregious’ human rights violations against Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang. Following accusations of mass detention, torture, forced labor, and genocide in Xinjiang, the US imposed diplomatic sanctions on China. Other countries like Australia, the UK, and Canada also confirmed that they will not send government officials to the Games after the United States announced a diplomatic boycott.
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