A flower ceremony was held but the medal ceremony has been delayed ©Getty Images

An emerging legal issue has delayed the medal ceremony for the team figure skating competition at the 2022 Winter Olympics here, the International Olympic Committee and International Skating Union (ISU) has confirmed.

The medal ceremony had been due to take place yesterday (February 8) at 9pm local time.

The ISU confirmed the delay has been caused by a legal issue.

A situation involving Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) and the international doping authorities is believed to be the cause of the delay, insidethegames understands.

It is believed the problem refers to a drugs test conducted before Beijing 2022. 

The ROC being awarded Beijing 2022 team figure skating gold medals has been delayed with 15-year-old Kamila Valieva among those being left to sweat as a Russian allegedly is facing a problem with a pre-competition drugs test ©Getty Images
The ROC being awarded Beijing 2022 team figure skating gold medals has been delayed with 15-year-old Kamila Valieva among those being left to sweat as a Russian allegedly is facing a problem with a pre-competition drugs test ©Getty Images

The ROC had won in the team event, which took place on Monday (February 7).

The ROC team featured women’s singles skater Kamila Valieva, Mark Kondratiuk in the men's, Anastasia Mishina and Aleksandr Galliamov in the pairs, and Victoria Sinitsina and Nikita Katsalapov in the ice dance.

The 15-year-old Valieva proved pivotal to the team’s success after topping the women's singles standings in both the short programme and added another win in the free skating.

She performed the quadruple jump twice - a manoeuvre that has never been successfully landed at the Winter Olympic Games.

Valieva was among four Russian skaters who failed to turn up for a scheduled training session in the Chinese capital today. 

It added to the confusion surrounding the situation.

"A situation arose yesterday at short notice, which requires legal consultation with the IOC," the ISU told insidethegames.

IOC spokesperson Mark Adams said the legal situation was an "emerging issue".

"Because there are legal implications involved I can’t talk very much about it at this stage," Adams said.

"It is an emerging issue.

"Hopefully we will give you an update later in the day."

IOC spokesperson Mark Adams refused to elaborate on why the medal ceremony for the team figure skating competition had been delayed, but admitted
IOC spokesperson Mark Adams refused to elaborate on why the medal ceremony for the team figure skating competition had been delayed, but admitted "there are legal implications involved" ©ITG

The United States and Japan completed the podium places.

The Russian Figure Skating Federation spokesperson Olga Yermolina told the country’s official state news agency TASS that the organisation is "waiting for official information on this issue".

Tatyana Tarasova, one of Russia's most successful coaches and national figure skating team adviser, blasted claims that a problem with a drugs test had caused the problems. 

She told TASS: "This cannot be!

"They can nod at us, but we are all clean."

The matter was raised in the State Duma, the Russian Parliament.

Even the Kremlin got involved in the matter.

"While we have not heard any official statements, let's still judge by official statements, while these are sources in the media," Vladimir Putin's official spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters when asked about insidethegames' exclusive story.

"Let's still wait for some clarification from our sports officials, or from the IOC for understanding."

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