Retired figure skater Meagan Duhamel says doping scandal has 'broken' sport

A retired figure skater from Sudbury said controversy at this year's women's figure skating at the Olympics will have a lasting effect on her sport.

Meagan Duhamel, who won an Olympic gold medal in 2018 in the pairs competition, has been vocal about the doping scandal involving an athlete from the Russian Olympic Committee.

Kamila Valieva is under investigation after failing a drug test two months before the games started. The incident only came to light last week.

The 15-year-old tested positive for trimetazidine — a heart medication. She's also tested positive for L-carnitine and Hypoxen, which are both legal. Both drugs are designed to increase oxygen flow to the heart.

An emergency hearing last Sunday determined she could compete in Beijing, pending the results of the investigation as she is considered a "protected person" and thus subject to different rules than an adult athlete.

Her coach, Eteri Tutberidze, is also under investigation by the World Anti-Doping Agency.

"I'm feeling like our sport is broken," Duhamel said.

"The system, which is the backbone of the sport of skating, is broken because it allowed this to happen."

She said the incident is impacting her sport in a negative way.

"The issue is the doping, the issue is these young skaters having no control at all," she said. 

"The issue is an abusive coach basically running women's skating in the world. This is the person who's won all the medals for the past few years."

She said young skaters need to be protected.

"Who in their right mind is giving three different kinds of heart, geriatric heart medication to a 15 year old child? Who is doing that?" she said.

"This 15 year old isn't getting these medications herself." 

Duhamel said Russian figure skaters have a "really rigorous training routine."

"They do work harder than anyone else in the world. With the doping aside, they do," she said. 

"So, you know, it's such a shame because I think that she still could have and would have been the best in the world without any added substances."

Duhamel isn't the only athlete speaking out. Current and former skaters alike have criticized the decision to allow Valieva to remain in the competition.

Former skater Adam Rippon, who now coaches American skater Mariah Bell, has been vocal on social media about the decision.

"She had a positive test," Rippon posted on Twitter of Vallieva. "A slap in the face to every athlete who plays by the rules."