Janice R. Andrews
PARIS — When Vincent Zhou unexpectedly learned that he and his fellow American figure skaters would soon be receiving their long-awaited gold medals from the 2022 Beijing Olympics, he was preparing for a summer internship in the banking industry in New York. The announcement changed Zhou’s work plans into a joyous trip to Paris, signifying the end of an extended and turbulent journey.
Zhou, a student at Brown University who had stopped skating competitively, was happy to change his schedule. “I said, ‘Well, I’m heading to Paris to win an Olympic gold medal.'” Zhou made light of his abrupt change of heart. Considering the historical significance of the event, the unusual conclusion was accepted.
Following the contentious events of the 2022 Winter Games, more than 2.5 years of anger and uncertainty culminated in Wednesday’s celebration in Paris. The controversy involving Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva, who tested positive for a prohibited drug shortly before the Games started, clouded the U.S. team’s gold medal victory.
At first, Zhou, Nathan Chen, Karen Chen, Evan Bates, Madison Chock, Zachary Donohue, Brandon Frazier, Madison Hubbell, and Alexa Knierim were all part of the American team that had been wrongfully stripped of their gold medals. The Russian team was disqualified as a result of the scandal that rocked the Beijing Olympics, and the medal distribution procedure took a long time to resolve.
Amid continuing investigations and appeals, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) refrained from promptly bestowing medals. The circumstances prolonged the wait for a resolution by creating a convoluted web of decisions and hold-ups. The American figure skaters battled the ambiguity surrounding their medal eligibility for months, and then years, juggling their personal lives with a complex web of international sports bureaucracy.
The narrative of the American skaters’ Olympic gold turned into a tale of disappointment and half-told achievements as they progressed—some retiring, others going to college, and some establishing families. Nathan Chen laughed as he recalled the common question he was asked. “I would just be like, ‘It is a long story,'” he recalled.
At last, the solution was reached. When the U.S. team received an invitation to Paris to collect their gold medals, there was a mixture of elation and a feeling that justice had been long overdue. The medal ceremony provided a striking contrast to the frigid temperatures characteristic of winter Olympic games, taking place in August in the summer heat of Paris.
Chen said, “It was definitely the warmest [medal ceremony].” The ones in the winter are invariably frigid. Our pockets are filled with hand warmers. This time, we’re perspiring.
Though it was heated, there was a lot of genuine emotion throughout the ceremony. The Eiffel Tower provided a breathtaking background as the American squad, all out in winter Olympic warm-ups, stood tall and strong. Friends and family who had been denied entry to the Beijing Games because of COVID-19 regulations were there, yelling and applauding “U-S-A, U-S-A.”
“Seeing my parents waving and crying to me was really special,” Knierim remarked, expressing the ceremony’s emotional meaning.
But the issue in Beijing continued to affect people long after the event. The Russian team was barred from these Olympics because of their invasion of Ukraine, thus the IOC’s decision to not punish them totally created an embarrassing void on the podium. The Canadian team, who had placed fourth, was not awarded a medal, and the bronze medal spot remained vacant.
Zhou expressed his sympathy to the Canadian skaters and all those impacted by the prolonged procedure.
Even though the IOC’s measures did not completely right every injustice from the Beijing Olympics, the American and Japanese teams felt that their medal ceremonies in Paris were a moment of justice. The American figure skaters’ triumph in Paris was a long-overdue recognition of their accomplishments, even though it did not make up for the hardships of the preceding two years.
“Despite the lengthy process, I feel almost privileged because there are many people who deserve the same thing and won’t get it,” Zhou said, acknowledging the significance of the occasion.
The Paris ceremony was as more than just an official acknowledgement for the American figure skaters; it served as a celebration of tenacity and a remembrance of their valiant triumph. Regarding Zhou, it was undoubtedly worthwhile to skip a week of work.
Ultimately, Paris offered an appropriate setting for the postponed festivities, reaffirming that the sweet taste of triumph is always worth the wait—even after the most difficult of journeys.
