What's with the dopey Russian coaches?

[Jimmy Higgins]

First of all, investigation has not even really started.
Second of all, doping in figure skating is pretty pointless.
Third of all, You are totally doping yourself, it's called therapeutic exceptions. Norway/Sweden were doing it with great success, US is also totally guilty of that (Simone Biles)

As far as I know substance is similar to meldonium for which a bunch of russians including Sharapova were "busted". The whole thing stunk because that substance was not even proven to improve results and the reason why it was put on the list is because the drug itself was used only in Russia and not in the West.

Plus the test itself was not not done in timely matter and I understand is technically invalid because of that.

I can't exclude third party involvement in all of this. She is a hands down best skater in history of the sport. Can you exclude CIA?

Trimetazidine has been on the anti-doping list since 2014. The claim that her grandfather was taking the drug for his heart condition is extremely convenient and coincidental. The coach, Eteri Tutberidze, is famous for producing these girls to win gold medals at an age where their bodies are more able to perform difficult moves like quads. She is the most sought-after coach in Russia for figure skating champions, and her prodigies usually only last a couple of years, because their bodies change as they mature to full adulthood. IOW, the coach seems to be running a little figure skating factory that is likely using the doping to keep her string of successes going.

Kamila Valieva's doctor, has an interesting history:

Filipp Shvetsky can be seen rinkside during Russian figure skaters' competitions and practices. The towering, dark-haired physician works at a war veterans' hospital in Moscow in addition to treating members of Russia's figure skating team.

Shvetsky and several Russian rowers were suspended from the sport between 2007 and 2010 for anti-doping violations, said Jim Walden, an attorney for Grigory Rodchenkov, the former head of Russia's anti-doping laboratory who turned whistleblower.

Rowing's international governing body said at the time that the violations were related to prohibited intravenous infusions.

After his suspension was lifted, he joined the national figure skating team. The blame, Shvetsky said in a 2016 interview, was put on him in the hope of reducing the athletes' suspensions.

See Reuters report: Formidable Russian coach and doctor with doping past in focus over Valieva case

I think that the IOC made a serious mistake in letting Valieva continue to compete. It sends exactly the wrong message both to the Russian Olympic Committee and to those athletes who must compete in future games. If the IOC continues to look the other way, then we can expect other serious contenders to start their own clandestine doping programs.

It is difficult to understand what they are thinking. Valieva's role? Who knows. At the very least, the ROC should be stripped of its banner over her. The ROC is a disgrace of disgraces. It is almost as bad as cycling 15 years ago (or worse?).

 

[Copernicus]

It is difficult to understand what they are thinking. Valieva's role? Who knows. At the very least, the ROC should be stripped of its banner over her. The ROC is a disgrace of disgraces. It is almost as bad as cycling 15 years ago (or worse?).

I agree. In fact, the Russian athletes are only at the Olympics because the IOC agreed to lift its ban by allowing them to compete under the ROC banner instead of their national banner. That seems only to have encouraged this continued effort to cheat their way into winning medals. There is no reason why the Russians should be given special treatment. They have excellent athletes, but they have managed to tarnish the image of all Russian athletes with this continual flaunting of the rules. The Russian government should be clamping down on this nonsense, but it may actually be what is behind the behavior. Putin is no stranger to breaking laws and cheating.

 

[steve_bank]

Russia has always had state sponsored doping. Going back to the Cold War it was Communist image of prowess vs the West.

Today she was allowed to compete because 'the show must go on'. It is about ratings, she is a premier skater and people will watch the story.

The Olympics is a business and is politics. China was desperate to build a global positve image as an equal to the US and the west. For them getting their frst Olympic games went a long way to normalize their image.

Until not too long ago Chinese international athletics were run by the state. They took the profits. Only state trainers were allowed.

When you watch the games take it with a mouthful of salt, not just a pinch.

 

[Loren Pechtel]

First of all, investigation has not even really started.
Second of all, doping in figure skating is pretty pointless.

Strength is useful. Thus doping is useful.

Third of all, You are totally doping yourself, it's called therapeutic exceptions. Norway/Sweden were doing it with great success, US is also totally guilty of that (Simone Biles)

As far as I know substance is similar to meldonium for which a bunch of russians including Sharapova were "busted". The whole thing stunk because that substance was not even proven to improve results and the reason why it was put on the list is because the drug itself was used only in Russia and not in the West.

If a bunch of athletes are taking a drug it's probably something they shouldn't be taking.

Plus the test itself was not not done in timely matter and I understand is technically invalid because of that.

I don't know the rules but being late would cause false negatives, not false positives.

 

[barbos]

Strength is useful. Thus doping is useful.

That particular drug does not give Strength. So it's useless.

 

[barbos]

If a bunch of athletes are taking a drug it's probably something they shouldn't be taking.

yeah, swimmers.

 

[ZiprHead]

Strength is useful. Thus doping is useful.

That particular drug does not give Strength. So it's useless.

Strength is far from the only attribute that makes an athlete successful.

Trimetazidine, known as TMZ, is a drug used to treat angina and other heart-related conditions. It works by increasing blood flow to the heart and limiting rapid swings in blood pressure. ... This is illegal for athletes to use both in and out of competition as it can increase blood flow efficiency and improve endurance.

What is trimetazidine, the heart drug at the center of Russia's doping scandal?

Russian star figure skater Kamila Valieva was temporarily suspended after she tested positive for trimetazidine. But what is TMZ and why is it banned?

www.usatoday.com

 

[barbos]

Strength is useful. Thus doping is useful.

That particular drug does not give Strength. So it's useless.

Strength is far from the only attribute that makes an athlete successful.

Trimetazidine, known as TMZ, is a drug used to treat angina and other heart-related conditions. It works by increasing blood flow to the heart and limiting rapid swings in blood pressure. ... This is illegal for athletes to use both in and out of competition as it can increase blood flow efficiency and improve endurance.

What is trimetazidine, the heart drug at the center of Russia's doping scandal?

Russian star figure skater Kamila Valieva was temporarily suspended after she tested positive for trimetazidine. But what is TMZ and why is it banned?

www.usatoday.com

yes, it's useful for swimmers and other endurance disciplines, not in figure skating.

 

[Coleman Smith]

She said that she may have inadvertently taker her grandfather's medicine.

If they were in the same medicine cabinet I believe that may have actually happened.

We will never know for sure.

 

[barbos]

And previous doping was possible because russian officials were replacing samples.
Here, according to you, they were doping and not replacing. That's too dumb even for russians. And again that drug is useless in figure skating. I understand drugs which control weight ARE useful there, but that's not this one.

 

[ZiprHead]

Strength is useful. Thus doping is useful.

That particular drug does not give Strength. So it's useless.

Strength is far from the only attribute that makes an athlete successful.

Trimetazidine, known as TMZ, is a drug used to treat angina and other heart-related conditions. It works by increasing blood flow to the heart and limiting rapid swings in blood pressure. ... This is illegal for athletes to use both in and out of competition as it can increase blood flow efficiency and improve endurance.

What is trimetazidine, the heart drug at the center of Russia's doping scandal?

Russian star figure skater Kamila Valieva was temporarily suspended after she tested positive for trimetazidine. But what is TMZ and why is it banned?

www.usatoday.com

yes, it's useful for swimmers and other endurance disciplines, not in figure skating.

Yes, endurance doesn't matter to figure skaters bacause...

That's why at the end of their routines they seem so full of breath. Not huffing and puffing because they are expended. Oh, wait. They are!

 

[ZiprHead]

Report: Russia Used 'Mouse Hole' To Swap Urine Samples Of Olympic Athletes

At the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi, the Russians traded dirty urine samples for clean ones by passing them through a hole drilled into the wall of the anti-doping lab, according to an official report.

www.npr.org

 

[barbos]

Strength is useful. Thus doping is useful.

That particular drug does not give Strength. So it's useless.

Strength is far from the only attribute that makes an athlete successful.

Trimetazidine, known as TMZ, is a drug used to treat angina and other heart-related conditions. It works by increasing blood flow to the heart and limiting rapid swings in blood pressure. ... This is illegal for athletes to use both in and out of competition as it can increase blood flow efficiency and improve endurance.

What is trimetazidine, the heart drug at the center of Russia's doping scandal?

Russian star figure skater Kamila Valieva was temporarily suspended after she tested positive for trimetazidine. But what is TMZ and why is it banned?

www.usatoday.com

yes, it's useful for swimmers and other endurance disciplines, not in figure skating.

Yes, endurance doesn't matter to figure skaters bacause...

That's why at the end of their routines they seem so full of breath. Not huffing and puffing because they are expended. Oh, wait. They are!

yes, it does not matter, figure skating is a sprint. The fact that they are breathing more is irrelevant. You will breath more simply by standing up. Heart is not the issue in figure skating. Ordinary human can do it as far as heart concerned.

 

[Copernicus]

Strength is useful. Thus doping is useful.

That particular drug does not give Strength. So it's useless.

Yes, it does. You are misinformed. That is exactly why it is on the anti-doping list.

Trimetazidine Olympic Case Revives Memories of Grigory Rodchenkov and ROC Scandal

The drug, sometimes called TMZ, was added to a World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) prohibited list in 2014. Normally prescribed to treat angina -- chest pain from reduced blood flow to the heart -- it also has athletic benefits as well. For sports, it could potentially help an athlete perform at a higher heart rate for a longer period of time.

 

[Gun Nut]

Russians are just liars and cheaters.... simple solution is kick them out of the olympics.. let them make their own "no rules" mashup of modified humans competition... they can DNA splice, Transgender, Meth-head.. anything goes.

I, for one, would pay-per-view to watch Meth-head mud wrestling

 

[blastula]

Russian Skater Reportedly Took Three Drugs—Here's What to Know About Them

Russian Olympic athlete Kamila Valieva has been embroiled in controversy after banned substance trimetazidine was found in her system. Two approved meds, L-carnitine and hypoxen, were also reportedly found.

www.newsweek.com

She was taking two other substances that are not banned but still controversial as to performance enhancement. The two others were also for the heart, so her trainers definitely think improved heart function helps her.

Maybe she could have won without it but now we won't know.

 

[jab]

Strength is useful. Thus doping is useful.

That particular drug does not give Strength. So it's useless.

Strength is far from the only attribute that makes an athlete successful.

Trimetazidine, known as TMZ, is a drug used to treat angina and other heart-related conditions. It works by increasing blood flow to the heart and limiting rapid swings in blood pressure. ... This is illegal for athletes to use both in and out of competition as it can increase blood flow efficiency and improve endurance.

What is trimetazidine, the heart drug at the center of Russia's doping scandal?

Russian star figure skater Kamila Valieva was temporarily suspended after she tested positive for trimetazidine. But what is TMZ and why is it banned?

www.usatoday.com

yes, it's useful for swimmers and other endurance disciplines, not in figure skating.

Have you ever watched figure skating--how wiped the athletes look after skating a long program, which lasts 4 minutes, considerably much longer than a sprint? it requires almost continuous physical exertion, maintaining good blood flow to the heart, and endurance to keep preforming the difficult moves towards the end of a program, not just at the beginning--that gets you the highest marks.

 

[Copernicus]

Russian Skater Reportedly Took Three Drugs—Here's What to Know About Them

Russian Olympic athlete Kamila Valieva has been embroiled in controversy after banned substance trimetazidine was found in her system. Two approved meds, L-carnitine and hypoxen, were also reportedly found.

www.newsweek.com

She was taking two other substances that are not banned but still controversial as to performance enhancement. The two others were also for the heart, so her trainers definitely think improved heart function helps her.

Maybe she could have won without it but now we won't know.

Perhaps her grandfather should have added those two drugs to his heart medicine, as well. Was the team doctor for the figure skaters also treating him?

 

[Copernicus]

...
Have you ever watched figure skating--how wiped the athletes look after skating a long program, which lasts 4 minutes, considerably much longer than a sprint? it requires almost continuous physical exertion, maintaining good blood flow to the heart, and endurance to keep preforming the difficult moves towards the end of a program, not just at the beginning--that gets you the highest marks.

Exactly. They call it being "strong enough to last", but logic choppers might want to restrict the use of the adjective "strong" to just weight lifting events.

 

[barbos]

Russian Skater Reportedly Took Three Drugs—Here's What to Know About Them

Russian Olympic athlete Kamila Valieva has been embroiled in controversy after banned substance trimetazidine was found in her system. Two approved meds, L-carnitine and hypoxen, were also reportedly found.

www.newsweek.com

She was taking two other substances that are not banned but still controversial as to performance enhancement. The two others were also for the heart, so her trainers definitely think improved heart function helps her.

Maybe she could have won without it but now we won't know.

She is 15. Body is growing. When I was 15 I had high blood pressure and something happening in the heart. That's pretty normal and covered by therapeutic exception.
In this case she was taking allowed drug and took her grandfather pill by accident.