In the shadow of the Eiffel Tower, the United States and Japan were awarded gold and silver respectively.

"It’s almost surreal. We got our medals, and I turned around and I saw the Eiffel Tower, and I was just blown away,” ice dancer Madison Chock, who partners Evan Bates, said to Reuters. “It took my breath away."

Chock and Bates were joined by Karen Chen, Nathan Chen, Zachary Donohue, Brandon Frazier, Madison Hubbell, Alexa Knierim and Vincent Zhou to receive their long-delayed gold medals. Takeru Komatsubara, Misato Komatsubara, Ryuichi Kihara, Riku Miura, Kaori Sakamoto, Yuma Kagiyama and Wakaba Higuchi proudly took the silvers for Japan. 

The Russian team had won the event thanks to the points scored by then 15-year-old Kamila Valieva, who is now serving a four-year ban for doping. Russia secured gold after Valieva became the first woman to land a quadruple jump in Olympic competition.

But it later emerged the teenager had tested positive before the Games for trimetazidine, a drug to treat angina which is banned for athletes. When Valieva's points were deducted, Russia were relegated to bronze, with USA in the gold medal position and Japan second.

"We all wished to be able to celebrate this medal together as a team, so it was really great that we were all able to come here and share this moment together," said US skater Nathan Chen after the podium ceremony staged at the Champions Park, an area where medallists from the Summer Games parade in front of the public.

Japan's Tim Koleto said "these last two and a half years have been very long".

"It's such a super special moment to be able to celebrate alongside family and friends and our other competitors. To do it in front of the Eiffel Tower is something even in my wildest dreams I didn't imagine."

Canada, who originally came fourth, failed in their challenge to have Russia stripped of bronze. The Court of Arbitration for Sport rejected Russia's appeal against the stripping of their gold medal last week.