Skate Canada has decided to appeal the International Skating Union's (ISU) decision to award Russia's figure skating team bronze in the 2022 Beijing Olympics despite the disqualification of Kamila Valieva, the national governing body said on Friday.

Teenager Valieva received a four-year doping ban in late January, effective from December 2021, stripping the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) of the gold medal in the team event nearly two years after the competition.

It was thought that Canada, who finished fourth in the event, would be promoted to bronze.

But the ISU said the ROC total score even after Valieva's marks were erased was still a point better than the Canadians.

"While we respect the decisions made by the ISU, we disagree with the conclusion they have reached and believe that an independent review will provide much needed clarity for all impacted parties," Skate Canada said in a statement. REUTERS