US ice dancers and pairs will be awarded their Olympic golds in French capital following a prolonged court battle lasting two years

A sports court has officially recognized the US figure skating team as winners of their event at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, paving the way for them to receive gold medals in Paris during the upcoming Summer Games.

US Olympic and Paralympic Committee CEO Sarah Hirshland expressed excitement about honoring these athletes, particularly looking forward to celebrating alongside the vibrant city of Paris.

This recognition comes more than two years after the US team's absence from medal podiums at Beijing Winter Games due to a disqualification related to an athlete under scrutiny for doping violations. The latest ruling by CAS has now allowed Evan Bates, Karen Chen, Nathan Chen, Madison Chock, Zachary Donohue, Brandon Frazier, Madison Hubbell, Alexa Knierim, and Vincent Zhou to be recognized as Olympic champions heading to Paris.

CAS dismissed appeals from Russian officials who sought reinstatement of gold medals for their team, marking the end of a doping case involving an athlete that began shortly after the Beijing Games concluded. The decision by CAS is crucial in awarding long-overdue gold medals to American skaters and potentially upgraded silver medals to teams like Japan's.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has planned special medal ceremonies at the Champions Park plaza near the Eiffel Tower during Paris Summer Games, acknowledging athletes whose results have been revised due to doping cases in recent years.

This timely ruling by CAS allows for gold and silver medal allocation as per the IOC's statement, giving a long-awaited celebration to those who had their medals delayed because of ongoing legal proceedings involving past doping incidents.

During Beijing Winter Games, Russia was declared victors in the team event; however, Valieva, at just 15 years old and later cleared by a Russian tribunal with an unconvincing defense from World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) against CAS's appeal.