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The controversy surrounding 15-year-old Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva's alleged doping has caused people to question raising the age limit to compete in the Olympics.
Mariah Bell, a 25-year-old U.S. figure skater, told the Associated Press that the minimum age should be increased from 15 to 18. At 25, Bell is the oldest U.S. national champion in almost 100 years, and she argued that shouldn't be the case.
"You want these athletes to have an opportunity to have this be a profession, not a one-year run at it," Bell was quoted by the AP. "If we had an age (minimum) limit, I think it would promote that idea of longevity, and somebody being 25 wouldn't be shocking at an Olympics."
Valieva took to the ice on Tuesday for the first time since being allowed to compete after the scandal broke, crying after her performance. She had been temporarily banned after she tested positive for three heart-related medications including trimetazidine, a substance banned under the World Anti-Doping Code.
According to the AP, Valieva was cleared because being a minor made her a "protected person," giving her more rights than an adult athlete. The Court of Arbitration for Sport's Director General Matthieu Reeb said not letting her compete could cause her "irreparable harm in the circumstances."
USA Today reported several Russian figure skaters have experienced short careers, with the athletes burning out and retiring while still in their teen years.
Bell told the publication she thinks fans should be able to follow skaters' careers for several years, citing athletes like Michelle Kwan and Sasha Cohen.
"It was such a great representation of the sport," she was quoted by USA Today. "So I think to have more athletes like that would be amazing and having an age limit would aid in that happening."
Bell was not the only one calling for a change to the age limit. Norwegian Skating Federation President Mona Adolfsen told the AP she supports the idea and "hopefully [Valieva's case] will also put this question forward to other sports federations."
In the USA Today report, U.S. skater Alysa Liu, who became the first American to land a quad in a competition at age 14, said she is in favor of a higher age limit.
"I'd just be like, 'OK, I just have to wait a little bit longer,' which is fine," she said.
Opponents of the idea argue that younger athletes should not have to wait for their chance to compete, especially the ones with the potential to set records at a young age. The AP noted Alexandra Trusova's 2018 score at the junior competition was high enough to have won her the senior title if she had been old enough to compete.
The International Skating Union is expected to vote on the issue in June, according to the AP. While Russia has shown opposition to the idea, it is not currently clear how the U.S. and Canada plan to vote.
Update 02/16/22 3:20 p.m. ET: This story was updated to add more information.
