[Issue Summary] "Koreans Killing People with Malicious Comments" "Hold a Drug Olympics" Kim Yuna Instagram 'Comment War'

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Seung-gon, PD Yoon Jin-geun] "Why blame the young?" , "Worse than Valieva..."

There is controversy as fans of Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva are leaving malicious comments on the social media (SNS) of Kim Yuna, the 'Queen of Figure Skating' representing South Korea.

The malicious comments stem from Valieva, who participated in the 2022 Beijing Olympics, testing positive for a banned substance in a doping test. Kim Yuna made a candid statement saying, "Athletes who violate doping regulations cannot compete," which seems to have triggered the backlash.

Previously, Valieva was found to have trimetazidine, a banned angina medication, in her doping test. However, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) allowed Valieva to maintain her Olympic eligibility because she is a minor.

Upon learning of this situation, Kim Yuna posted in English on her Instagram, "Athlete who violates doping cannot compete in the game. This principle must be observed without exception. All players‘ efforts and dreams are equally precious."

Although Kim Yuna did not directly mention any individual, there was only one figure skater under doping suspicion. As a result, Valieva's fans flocked to Kim Yuna's Instagram and began posting critical comments.

Writing in Russian and English, they harshly criticized Kim Yuna, saying it was "self-blame for not winning gold in Sochi 2014." They also left malicious comments such as "How can you blame a 15-year-old girl like that?" Other netizens wrote, "Speak as well as Kamila does," "Kim Yuna, be ashamed," and "Kim Yuna, go to a plastic surgeon."

Domestic netizens also started posting rebuttal comments. They pointed out, "Kim Yuna didn't say anything wrong, so why the fuss? Then hold a separate Olympics for drug users," "You can't give a free pass just because she's young," and "The only people angry at Kim Yuna's post must be those who broke the rules."

On the afternoon of the 17th, Kamila Valieva of the Russian Olympic Committee fell during the landing process after a jump in the women's singles free skating event at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics held at the Capital Indoor Stadium in Beijing, China.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Meanwhile, Valieva explained the doping result by saying, "It seems the sample was contaminated because I used the same cup as my grandfather who has heart disease."

However, Travis Tygart, chairman of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), told CNN in an interview, "The concentration of trimetazidine detected in Valieva's urine sample was analyzed at 2.1 ng (nanograms) per 1 mL. This is about 200 times higher compared to samples from other athletes proven to be contaminated," calling it a "ridiculous claim," which further intensified the doping controversy.

He also expressed regret, saying, "It seems someone taught or led Valieva to take such drugs. It could be someone who financially supported them. They did this to enhance the performance of a mere 15-year-old girl."

On the 17th, at the Capital Indoor Stadium in Beijing, China, Valieva scored 73.31 points in Technical Element Score (TES), 70.62 points in Program Component Score (PCS), with a 2-point deduction, totaling 141.93 points in the women's individual free skating event.

Adding her short program score of 82.16 points to the free skating score, Valieva recorded a total of 224.09 points, finishing 4th in the Olympics, falling short of her personal best international competition score of 272.21 points.