Russian figure skater banned after doping ruling — RT World News

On Monday, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) issued a decision to ban Russian skater Kamila Valeeva for four years, two years after the teenager was found to have used a banned substance in an incident that dominated the Winter Olympics in Beijing.

The CAS ruling means that all results Valeeva achieved after testing positive on December 25, 2021, when she was 15, will be removed from official records. Now Valeeva is 17 years old, she must also renounce all titles, awards, medals and prize money that she later received.

The court added that it was not within its authority to remove the gold medal of the Russian team in the team competition in which Valeeva participated. However, it seems certain that the International Skating Union will strip the Russian Olympic Committee of the medal and instead award it to the United States, which finished second in the event.

“Kamila Valeeva was found to have committed an anti-doping rule violation and was sanctioned with a four-year disqualification beginning on December 25, 2021.” The Court of Arbitration for Sport said.

In its ruling, the Court of Arbitration for Sport explained that it was unable to prove that the banned substance – the heart medication trimetazidine – had not been taken. “intentionally” By Valiva. The athlete's legal representatives argued that the teenager had received trace amounts of the substance by mistake, and that it had been prescribed to her grandfather.

The positive doping test result was announced one day after helping the Russian team win gold in Beijing in February 2022. The IOC chose not to hold a medal ceremony in light of this development.

Among the official bodies that requested the Court of Arbitration for Sport's ruling on the matter, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) welcomed the ruling, describing it as a victory for fair sport. “WADA took this appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in the interests of justice for athletes and clean sport, and we believe that has been delivered through this decision.”

The World Anti-Doping Agency added this “Doping children is inexcusable.” Russia's anti-doping agency, Rusada, had previously found that Valeeva was “No error or negligence.” Who failed a drug test.

In response to the CAS ruling, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday that the ruling was… “Politicized” It is likely to be resumed. “We must protect the interests of our athletes until the end.” He said.

Valeeva, who became the first female skater to successfully pull off a quadruple jump at the Beijing Olympics two years ago, will be eligible to return to competition at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Games, should an appeal be unsuccessful.