As We See It
Opinion
csceagle.com | The Eagle | Feb. 17, 2022
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Allowing Valieva to compete ruins the competition
F
igure skating is a beautiful sport and it takes a lot of talent and work to be good at it. It’s the same as any sport at the Olympics. Years and years of practice and hard work leads up to performing at the world or even national level. It’s certainly something to be proud of. Until it isn’t. When athletes start using performance enhancing drugs the entire competition suffers. Performance enhancing drugs allow athletes to cut corners and make the playing field uneven. When an athlete’s talent comes from a bottle and not hard work it makes the entire competition less interesting. In 2014, Russia was banned from the Olympics due to athletes being encouraged to take performance enhancing drugs to help them medal. This ban wasn’t supposed to last very long, but has been continually renewed since then. The Olympics is all about seeing the best athletes compete
against each other. But they didn’t want to just shut out good athletes because they’re from Russia and might be doping. So, the Russian Olympic Committee (R.O.C.) was made and ‘neutral’ athletes were allowed to compete. That seemed like a pretty good idea. It got rid of the athletes that were known for doping and allowed athletes that weren’t to compete fairly. A factor that was overlooked was the Russian coaches. There were far less coaches penalized than the Russian athletes. I believe that overlooking a coach’s influence on athletes led to the current issues women’s figure skating is facing. Kamila Valieva, a 15-year-old figure skater, is amazing. Watching her skate looks effortless and graceful. Her tricks are impressive but her presence on the ice is what makes her really stand out. No performance enhancing drugs were needed for her grace on skates. She probably would have won gold without performance enhancing drugs. Everyone would
have watched in awe extreme methods of and cheered for her. training and most of Now she will win with her skaters quit or no ceremony and her burnout by the time competitors will place they are in their teens. after her knowing that She admitted to only they are skating in a letting a skater eat losing race. powdered food when Valieva will continthey needed to lose ue to compete at the weight. With her harsh Olympics even though methods the Olympic she tested positive for committee finds it fit Velvet Jessen three different drugs. to place the suspicions She claims she came in contact on her. with one of the drugs due to sharAnd I think they’re right. ing a drink with her grandfather. Valieva may have taken them However, the likelihood of having willingly, but I doubt she thought enough of the drug in her system of it on her own. She needed to to test positive for it just from deal with her harsh methods and sharing a drink with her grandfabe the star she thought she was ther is extremely low. supposed to do. Valieva is allowed to compete Unfortunately, it comes at the because of her age. The Olympic cost of the other athletes, who rules say minors are anyone that now must compete knowing are less than 16 years old at the it’s unfair and that if they and Olympics. So although she tested Valieva place none of them will positive, the responsibility for receive a medals ceremony. Not the positive results don’t fall on only is the Russian team getting Kamila they fall onto her coach, away with doping again they are Eteri Tutberidze. depriving other athletes of a real Tutberidze is known for her Olympic experience.
As You Said It!
EDITORIAL EDITOR-In-CHIEF Aubrie Lawrence editor@csceagle.com NEWS EDITOR news@csceagle.com OPINION EDITOR Velvet Jessen opinion@csceagle.com SPORTS EDITOR Mackenzie Dahlberg sports@csceagle.com LIFESTYLES EDITOR lifestyles@csceagle.com AG & RANGE EDITOR Kamryn Kozisek ageditor@csceagle.com DIGITAL CONTENT DIRECTOR Madyson Schliep photo@csceagle.com CO-ADVERTISING DIRECTORS Andrew Avila Kinsey Smith ads@csceagle.com DISTRIBUTION MANAGER subscriptions@csceagle.com NEWSROOM CONTACT PHONE & EMAIL Editorial: 308-432-6303 editor@csceagle.com Advertising: 308-432-6304 ads@csceagle.com GENERAL EMAIL QUERIES editor@csceagle.com MAILING ADDRESS The Eagle Old Admin, Room 235 Chadron State College 1000 Main St. Chadron NE 69337 FACULTY ADVISER Michael D. Kennedy Office: 308-432-6047 mkennedy@csc.edu
We asked: What did you think of the Super Bowl half time show?
MEMBERSHIPS Nebraska Press Association
Cara Self 19, senior, Gilbert, Arizona
Gunnar Jones 24, graduate, Florence, Alabama
Emma Stewart 19, sophomore, Columbus
“They should have showed the sign language too.”
“I thought it was the best in years.”
“I thought it really only catered to one audience.”
Jamal Browder 19, freshman, Miami
Natalie Boyd 21, senior, Stratton
“It was nice, it was fun.”
“I loved it, the dude on the tuba killed it. It was great..”
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