MOSCOW, January 24, Vlad Zhukov. Russian national team doctor figure skating Philip Shvetsky thanked German journalist Hajo Seppelt for the opportunity to understand himself and doping situations.
In November 2023, the Nikulinsky Court of Moscow began to consider the merits of Shvetsky’s claim against Seppelt for the protection of honor, dignity and business reputation. The lawsuit, registered on July 26, 2023, is related to a film by a German journalist regarding the details of the doping case of Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva. On Wednesday, the court upheld the doctor's claim.
«»The court fully satisfied my demands on each point. We had enough to refute five conjectures — on the TV channel and in the printed version, which spread throughout the world. There were accusations of doping against me, presentation of me as a representative of the doping state system, also a possible repeat offender and culprit in the doping case with Kamila Valieva. Taking into account my evidence, the court fully satisfied my demands and ordered Seppelt to refute his facts and collect 1 ruble from him in favor of me,» Shvetsky told reporters.
«I want to thank Hayo Seppelt for the opportunity for me to personally understand the situation that was 20 years ago, in the situations in Sochi, Bratislava, Beijing. I managed to understand both myself and the situations. And understand how everything was actually,» he added.
A representative of Philip Shvetsky told reporters that the decision will take effect a month after Seppelt receives a translation of the verdict. “The decision has not yet entered into legal force, but the claim has been satisfied. It will enter into force a month after Seppelt receives a translation of the verdict. If he does not exercise the right to appeal, it will enter into force,” he said.
At the Olympic Games in Beijing, the leader of the national team and group Eteri Tutberidze Valieva, as part of the national team, became the winner of the team tournament. Immediately after this, it became known that the skater’s doping test on December 25, 2021 gave a positive result for trimetazidine. The Court of Arbitration for Sport allowed Valieva to participate in the individual tournament of the Games, where she took fourth place. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) postponed the award ceremony for the team tournament winners until the investigation into the Valieva case is completed. In October 2022, Shvetsky announced that he remains the Russian team doctor, but will not work at Tutberidze’s skating rink.