USOPC CEO: Withheld Olympic medals ‘unfair to the athletes’

By EDDIE PELLS
AP National Writer

ZHANGJIAKOU, China (AP) — The leader of the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee calls the decision not to award American figure skaters the silver medal they won in the team competition a result that is “frankly, unfair to the athletes.” CEO Sarah Hirshland tells The Associated Press the skaters want to go home with the medals in their hands and that the USOPC is trying to find a solution. The IOC has determined it will not award any medals from competitions involving Kamila Valieva. She is the 15-year-old Russian figure skater whose positive test for a banned substance was revealed after she led her team to the gold medal last week. The Americans took silver.