Russian Skater Kamila Valieva Can Compete At Beijing Olympics Despite Earlier Doping Violation, Tribunal Rules

Topline

Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva will be allowed to compete in the women’s single skating event at the 2022 Beijing Olympics despite testing positive for a banned substance recently, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruled on Monday in a decision that the opens the door for 15-year-old world record holder’s gold medal pursuit.

Figure skater Kamila Valiyeva of Team ROC practices during a training session at the 2022 Winter … [+] Olympic Games, at the Capital Indoor Stadium.

Valery Sharifulin/TASS

Key Facts

In its ruling the CAS said that no provisional suspension should be imposed on Valieva because of certain “exceptional circumstances” including the fact that the 15-year-old is a “protected person” under the World Anti Doping Agency’s code and she had not tested positive during the Olympics itself.

CAS noted that anti-doping rules have special provisions for “different standards of evidence” and “lower sanctions” incase of a violation by a protected person.

CAS also added that a suspension would cause “irreparable harm” to the athlete and pointed out “serious issues” with the delayed notification of Valieva’s December doping test result—announced just last week—which impinged on her ability to build a legal defense.

The ruling was announced following a marathon overnight hearing that included six hours of online testimony and it came a day before Valieva is scheduled to compete in the women’s single skating event.

The CAS ruling only covers Valieva’s eligibility to compete in her event at the Olympics, but did not examine the “legal consequences” of the results of last week’s team figure skating event—where Valieva’s top scoring performance helped the Russian Olympic Committee team win gold.

Crucial Quote

Speaking at a press conference CAS Director General Matthieu Reeb said: “The panel was very concerned that if a provisional suspension was imposed on the athlete, and later at the end of the day, at the completion of all procedures, she would not be sanctioned or would have a very low sanction, the provisional sanction (suspension) would have caused serious damage.”

Chief Critic

Reacting to the decision, the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee CEO Sarah Hirshland said: “This appears to be another chapter in the systemic and pervasive disregard for clean sport by Russia…We know this case is not yet closed, and we call on everyone in the Olympic Movement to continue to fight for clean sport on behalf of athletes around the world.”

Key Background

The controversy around Valieva began last week, after the team representing the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) won gold but their medal ceremony was delayed as the IOC said it needed time for a “legal consultation.” Russian newspapers then reported that Valieva—whose record-setting performance helped ROC win—tested positive for trimetazidine, a heart medication that is on the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA) banned list. On Friday, the International Testing Agency (ITA) clarified that a sample collected from the 15-year-old skater on December 25, 2021, during the 2022 Russian Figure Skating Championships, tested positive for the banned drug on February 8 in a lab test carried out in Sweden. The Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA), which oversaw the national competition, initially handed Valieva an interim ban from the Beijing Olympic but this was later overturned by the body’s disciplinary panel following an appeal. Following this the ITA, on behalf of the International Olympic Committee, challenged RUSADA’s decision.

Tangent

The controversy around Valieva is the latest in the line doping controversies linked to Russian sport. WADA has banned Russia from competing international sporting events for multiple years, including the 2022 Olympics, due to its state-backed doping program dating back to at least 2012. All Russian athletes at the Winter Games have to compete as a neutral party and under the Russian Olympic Committee flag.

What To Watch For

Monday’s ruling means that the Russian teenager will start as a heavy favorite to win gold in the women’s single skating event after setting world record scores in the lead up to the Beijing Winter Games. During the team event last week, Valieva became the first woman to land a quad jump at the Olympics.