According to a TASS news agency, Russian figure skater Valieva has not returned any of the medals she was stripped of. The head of the Russian anti-doping agency RUSAD said about the redistribution of Valieva's medals: "The organizers of the competition must first change the results of the competition. ”

Russian figure skater Valieva at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics

Answering a question about Valieva's return of the prize money and medals, Anton Sikharulidze, president of the Russian Figure Skating Association and former Olympic champion in figure skating, said, "WADA must rule on this." ”

The disqualification of Valieva's results during her drug abuse was an integral part of the sanctions imposed on her for violating anti-doping rules. The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne ruled that Valieva had violated anti-doping rules. The decision of the CAS is final and binding on the parties, however the adjustment of the results/rankings must be made by the organizer of the competition where the athlete's result is cancelled.

Russian figure skater Valieva

The issue of redistribution involving prize money and medals is more complex. The World Anti-Doping Law stipulates that anti-doping organizations must take reasonable steps to redistribute prize money and medals. This applies in particular to international federations, which function both as anti-doping organizations and as tournament organizers for the sport concerned.

In practice, WADA does not take positive action on issues related to the redistribution of prize money and medals, because it is not feasible. It is reported that Valieva, who was found to have taken drugs during the Beijing Winter Olympics, was asked to return nine medals and a prize of 13 million US dollars.