Kamila Valieva was allowed to compete in the Olympics despite a failing drug test by the Russian anti-doping agency.
Kamila Valieva: The 15-year-old assisted the Russian Olympic Committee in winning team figure skating gold on Monday, but the medals were not awarded due to a “legal issue.” Her suspension was lifted by the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (Rusada), allowing her to compete in the Beijing Olympics. That decision has now been appealed by the International Olympic Committee.
The International Skating Union has also requested that Valieva’s provisional suspension be reinstated by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas). According to the ITA, Valieva had a sample taken on Christmas Day at the Russian Figure Skating Championships in St Petersburg, when she was the first female skater to land a quadruple leap in competition. It was transported to a laboratory authorized by the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) in Stockholm, Sweden.
The result was not announced until February 8, the day after she won team gold but before the medal ceremony. Trimetazidine, which is used to prevent angina episodes but is on the Wada prohibited list since it is classified as a cardiac metabolic modulator and has been shown to boost physical efficiency, was found in Valieva’s system.
Kamila Valieva was temporarily suspended, but she appealed the judgment, and Rusada agreed to lift the suspension on February 9th. Cas will now hear the case ahead of her scheduled appearance in the individual event on Tuesday, February 15th. Valieva, the favorite in the women’s singles event, has been spotted training at Beijing’s Capital Indoor Stadium.
Mark Adams, an IOC spokesperson, said he sought a decision “as soon as possible,” adding that the team event medals would not be awarded until the Cas hearing was completed.The United States came in second, Japan came in third, and Canada came in fourth. “A reasoned judgment, including the grounds for the provisional suspension being lifted, will be issued to all interested parties shortly,” the ITA said.
“We have the same questions as everyone else about the team figure skating issue,” said Eric Myles, chief sport officer of the Canadian Olympic Committee.
“It’s important that a fair process unfolds and the integrity of sport is protected. Our hope is that this is resolved quickly and the medallists get the medal moment they’ve earned here in Beijing.”
Valieva won the women’s singles at the European Figure Skating Championships in Tallinn, Estonia, in January, between the positive test and the Winter Olympics. Russians earned a complete sweep of the gold medals.
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