The medal ceremony for the team figure skating at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics was reportedly put on hold following an issue with Russian 15-year-old Kamila Valieva's drug test. The Russian team finished first in the team event which combines the scores from men's and women's singles skaters, pairs and ice dancers.
IOC spokesperson Mark Adams, when questioned on the matter, said he "won't comment on speculation," and added, "I'm not going to comment on a legal case."
He preached patience on the matter, saying, "We have to wait with patience for this case to find its way to some kind of conclusion"
The legal matter surrounding the situation is speculated to stem from Valieva's age. As an individual under the age of 16, she is deemed a protected person by the IOC.
The briefing came while Valieva was spotted practicing at the Olympic ice skating stadium. She was reported to have landed another quadruple axel when practicing after becoming the first woman to land the maneuver in the Olympics.
She left practice without speaking to reporters.
Following the initial allegations, the Russian Sports Ministry released a statement.
"The Ministry of Sport of the Russian Federation thinks it to be premature to comment about the information in the media regarding the postponement of the awards ceremony for the figure skating team competition at the Games in Beijing until official information," the statement read.
It is unclear when the sample that sparked concern was taken, but reports suggest that a December test of one of the six Russian figure skaters contained Trimetazidine. Trimetazidine is a heart medication that is banned by the IOC due to it improving endurance and blood flow efficiency.
The medal ceremony has yet to be rescheduled.