In a shocking development, the Russian figure skating team has been disqualified from the 2022 Beijing Olympics due to a doping case involving Kamila Valieva. However, despite this setback, the team is still in line to secure bronze medals, with the United States taking gold and Japan moving up to silver.

The International Skating Union (ISU) released an amended standings report on Tuesday, which removed Valieva's maximum 10 points from each of her two events. Remarkably, the ISU did not assign any additional points to the other teams affected by this disqualification.

This decision by the ISU is likely to trigger legal action at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), as Russian Olympic officials announced their intention to appeal, arguing that the ISU's sanctions against Valieva should not impact the team event's results.

Furthermore, Canada, who finished in fourth place, may also challenge the ISU's decision, as the remaining teams did not receive any extra points following Valieva's disqualification. Skate Canada strongly disagreed with the ISU's stance and stated that they would explore all options to appeal this ruling.

The final decision on awarding medals lies with the International Olympic Committee (IOC), which is determined to resolve the situation promptly. Sarah Hirshland, CEO of the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC), confirmed that there is no scenario where Team USA is not the gold medal winner, emphasizing their focus on getting the gold medals awarded.

The ISU, responsible for amending the Olympic event result, has been in close contact with the IOC and relevant member federations to navigate this complicated situation.

This unprecedented turmoil has exposed the complexities of figure skating's team event, which made its debut at the 2014 Sochi Games. In the revised Beijing result, Canada retains its eight points, while Japan receives nine points for their performances in the short program and free skate.

With the Russians now dropping to third place, their overall point total decreases from 74 to 54. Nevertheless, the rest of the team still secures bronze medals, except for the disqualified Valieva.

Skate Canada supported the decision to disqualify Valieva, emphasizing the importance of stringent anti-doping measures and the integrity of figure skating. Their potential appeal to CAS in Switzerland could further prolong the resolution of this case.

The team event medal ceremony was not held in Beijing due to the discovery of Valieva's positive test for a banned heart medicine shortly after her performance. There is speculation that the medal ceremony could potentially take place during the Summer Games in Paris, which are scheduled to begin on July 26.

U.S. ice dancer Madison Chock expressed her hope for such an outcome, envisioning the nine team members standing atop the podium, united in their national anthem and surrounded by their loved ones. The dream scenario would be a shared moment of triumph for all the skaters involved.

As the saga continues, the fate of the Russian team's bronze medals hangs in the balance, awaiting further deliberation and decisions from the IOC and CAS.