Kamila Valieva, the Russian figure skater who captivated the world as a teenage prodigy, has had her neutral athlete status revoked, severing one of the last threads connecting her to international competition. The decision reflects a broader tightening of the compromise framework that once allowed athletes from sanctioned nations to compete as individuals, even as their countries remained barred. In an era where geopolitics and sport have become increasingly inseparable, Valieva's situation stands as a quiet but consequential marker of how thoroughly the boundaries of athletic participation h