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Ammon News -

The Court of Arbitration for Sport has rejected an appeal by the United States' figure skaters who wanted to receive their silver medals during the Winter Olympics.

The Russian Olympic Committee won the event but the medals have not been awarded because Kamila Valieva, 15, failed a drugs test.

Cas said it would release the reason for its decision in the coming days.

The Beijing Games officially close on Sunday.

The US team - consisting of Evan Bates, Karen Chen, Nathan Chen, Madison Chock, Zachary Donohue, Brandon Frazier, Madison Hubbell, Alexa Knierim and Vincent Zhou - finished second in the event on 7 February.

However, no medal ceremony has been held, with the athletes instead receiving teddy bears of the mascot Bing Dwen Dwen in a low-key event at the skating venue.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has said a medal ceremony cannot be held until Valieva's case has been fully investigated.

The US skaters, who wanted to go home with their medals, met IOC president Thomas Bach this week to discuss the issue.

 

The IOC said it would not comment on an ongoing procedure.

It was announced on 8 February that Valieva had tested positive in December for angina drug trimetazidine.

She successfully appealed against a Russian Anti-Doping Agency decision to impose a provisional suspension.

Cas ruled that "exceptional circumstances" meant she should not be suspended. That allowed Valieva to compete in the women's single event, where she finished fourth.

 

*BBC