Photo/Illutration Kamila Valieva, of the Russian Olympic Committee, reacts after competing in the women's figure skating short program at the 2022 Winter Olympics on Feb. 15 in Beijing. (The Asahi Shimbun)

The Japanese expression "zaru-ho," which literally translates as "sieve law," denotes a law that has too many loopholes despite seeming to come with severe punitive measures.

A very lax law is what comes to mind when I see Russia, banned from competing in international sporting events for systemic doping, still sending its athletes to the Olympics under the banner of the "Russian Olympic Committee."

Moscow insists that these athletes have proven drug-free and are participating in the Beijing Winter Olympics as individuals.

But what makes that different from representing their nation?

They are performing in group events, and Russian President Vladimir Putin was present at the Opening Ceremony.

And to not mince any words, one of the loopholes in the law must be the "under 16" age category to which Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva belongs.

The 15-year-old tested positive for a banned substance in December after a domestic skating competition in St. Petersburg. It would not have surprised anyone if that got her disqualified from the Beijing Games.

Asked for its ruling, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) decided she could compete at the Olympics, assigning her "protected person" status for her age.

But put another way, it means someone could have made an athlete, who is young enough to require protection, use a banned performance-enhancing substance.

In women's figure skating, athletes are getting conspicuously younger because it certainly helps to be a lightweight teenager if you want to land something really difficult, like a quad jump.

At the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics, the gold medal went to a 15-year-old.

Is it the young age of skaters, or Russia's nature, that is rendering doping control quite difficult?

Should it ultimately be confirmed that Valieva had used a banned substance, she is said to face the possibility of being stripped of her medals.

To have to glide and leap amid such anxiety must be overly cruel for any 15-year-old.

--The Asahi Shimbun, Feb. 16

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Vox Populi, Vox Dei is a popular daily column that takes up a wide range of topics, including culture, arts and social trends and developments. Written by veteran Asahi Shimbun writers, the column provides useful perspectives on and insights into contemporary Japan and its culture.

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