Thunderbolt on the Beijing Olympics: the Russian skater Kamila Valieva, 15-year-old favorite for Olympic gold, did undergo a positive doping test at the end of December before the 2022 Olympics. Her participation in the women’s individual competition, scheduled for February 15 and 17, is now suspended for a decision expected from
Court of Arbitration for Sport (TAS), seized by the
International Olympic Committee (IOC), the ITA said.
Valieva tested positive for trimetazidine, used to relieve angina pectoris and banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency since 2014, during a test carried out on December 25 during the Russian Championships in Saint Petersburg by the Russian agency. anti-doping (Rusada). The result of this control was known on February 8, the day after Valieva won Olympic gold with Russia. The Russian agency immediately suspended Valieva on a provisional basis, which appealed against this sanction. The young Russian obtained the lifting of this provisional suspension by the Russian anti-doping on February 9.
A “very legal” case
But the IOC has decided to appeal the lifting of this suspension to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), because “a decision is necessary before February 15”, the date of the start of the women’s individual competition. Asked during the IOC’s daily press briefing in Beijing, Olympic body spokesman Mark Adams explained that it was a “very legal” matter: “There are larger questions about this case, because she is a minor so we cannot communicate”. “The IOC has a policy that is 100% against doping and very clearly we will pursue all doping cases to the end. But here we have an ongoing case, so we can’t comment, especially since it’s a minor sportswoman. We have to be careful,” he added.
Valieva, favorite of the women’s individual competition at the 2022 Olympics, is the new sensation in figure skating. Since her arrival on the senior circuit this winter, the Russian teenager, trained by the famous and severe Eteri Tutberidze, is undefeated and flew over the European Championships in Tallinn last month. During the team event of the 2022 Olympics, she became the first woman to land quadruple jumps at the Olympics, during her free program.