Topline
Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva has claimed her positive drug test was caused by a mix-up with her grandfather’s heart medication, the latest development in the Games’ doping scandal ahead of her controversial appearance in the women’s figure skating singles on Tuesday.
Kamila Valieva tested positive for a banned substance
Key Facts
The 15-year-old skater, who tested positive for the banned drug trimetazidine but has been allowed to compete while the matter is investigated, argued the result was due to “contamination… with a product her grandfather was taking,” said International Olympic Committee (IOC) official Denis Oswald, according to multiple news reports.
Valieva’s legal team reportedly told the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) the substance may have come from a glass of water containing trace amounts of her grandfather’s heart medication—trimetazidine is commonly used to treat angina—which the skater may have then ingested, the Guardian reported, citing Russian newspaper Pravda.
The CAS has cleared Valieva to compete in the Games while it investigates the case, citing “irreparable harm” to the athlete if she was blocked from competing while under investigation, though it did not address the merits of the drugs case.
Valieva, one of the youngest athletes to face a doping charge during the Olympics, said the ordeal has left her “emotionally tired.”
“These days have been very difficult for me,” the skater told Russia’s Channel One television.
What To Watch For
The women’s singles. The athlete is the leading contender for gold and should she win a medal, the IOC said it will not hold a ceremony for any of the athletes who medal afterwards. The outcome of the investigation into Valieva’s positive result could lead to her results—and medals—being stripped from her in the weeks and months ahead. “We want to allocate the medal to the right person,” Oswald said. Valieva’s positive test has already jeopardized her and her teammates’ gold medal from the team event, where she became the first female skater to land a quad jump in an Olympic contest.
What We Don’t Know
The circumstances around Valieva’s test result. The CAS cited “exceptional circumstances” around its decision to let Valieva compete, noting her status as a “protected person”—likely meaning a minor—and “serious issues” in how Valieva was notified of the result. The positive drugs test was from a result taken in mid-December, though this was not revealed until weeks later until after the skater had competed in the team event at the Games. Results from the skater’s second sample, which are often tested at the athlete’s request should the first fail, have not yet been tested for the substance.
Further Reading
Russian Doping Scandal Fallout: FBI Could Investigate And Coaches Prosecuted Over Valieva Case (Forbes)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2022/02/15/kamila-valieva-argues-contamination-with-grandfathers-heart-drug-caused-failed-test-ioc-says/