The teenage Russian skater at the center of a doping storm at the Winter Olympics tested positive for a banned substance before the Games began.
The teenage Russian skater at the center of a doping storm at the Winter Olympics tested positive for a banned substance before the Games began.
Kamila Valieva, 15, was part of the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) team that won the figure skating gold on Feb. 7. On Feb. 11, it emerged she had tested positive for heart drug trimetazidine, which can boost athletes’ endurance and blood efficiency, in December 2021. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is refusing to award any medals until the legal process is resolved.
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Today (Feb. 14), the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruled to let her compete at the ongoing Olympics, mainly because of the “exceptional circumstances” of her age, and because she didn’t have time for due legal process before the Games. She will participate in the women’s singles competition tomorrow, for which she is among the favorites. If she finishes in the top three, the IOC will not award a medal or even hold a ceremony until the doping situation has been resolved.
This is far from Russian sport’s first alleged doping transgression, despite the Kremlin’s howls of protest in Valieva’s case. Russia isn’t allowed to compete in any global sporting event this year under its own flag, although its athletes can represent their Olympic committee.
The International Testing Agency (ITA), while emphasizing that Valieva is a minor whose name would not normally be disclosed publicly, has clarified the timeline after media reports started doing the rounds:
The Russian government has a reputation of backing systematic cheating, and setting up state-run programs to provide athletes with steroid cocktails to curb detection.
During the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, Russian bobsledder Nadezhda Sergeeva was disqualified after testing positive for trimetazidine. She served an eight month ban and is competing in Beijing. At the 2018 games, Russian curler Alexander Krushelnitsky tested positive for a similar drug called meldonium, and was banned for four years.
Meanwhile, outside the Olympic village, the threat of Russia invading Ukraine looms. The Kremlin has stationed north of 100,000 troops on the Ukrainian border. US officials fear they could even invade before the Olympics ends on Feb. 20.
This post has been updated.
