Russia clear Kamila Valieva over figure skating drugs scandal which rocked the Winter Olympics

Russian anti-doping authorities have ruled that Kamila Valieva, the teenage figure skater at the center of the drug scandal that rocked last year’s Winter Olympics, was not at fault for her positive test.

In a controversial ruling that will be appealed by the World Anti-Doping Agency and that has drawn widespread attention, a Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) tribunal found that Valieva had “no fault or negligence.”

Valieva faced being stripped of the Olympic skating team gold she won for Russia as a 15-year-old in Beijing, a victory that was quickly followed by the revelation that she had tested positive in December 2021 for the banned substance trimetazidine.

Russian anti-doping authorities ruled that Kamila Valieva was not at fault for her positive drug test

Valieva, left, had won team figure skating gold the day before her positive test was revealed.

In a surreal twist, Valieva’s legal team claimed in the subsequent storm that she may have accidentally ingested heart medicine that belonged to her grandfather by sharing a glass of water.

RUSADA insisted throughout the saga that they will carry out their investigation in private since the skater was a minor at the time of the positive.

However, WADA, which will appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, revealed the outcome of that 10-month RUSADA process in a statement: “The court found that, although the athlete had committed an anti-doping rule violation, she was not wearing fault or negligence” for it. As such, the court did not impose any sanctions except the disqualification of their results on the date of sample collection.

Valieva failed to medal in the individual event amid controversy at the Games

USADA chief Travis Tygart accused RUSADA of a ‘self-serving’ decision in the Valieva case

Based on the elements of the case with which WADA is already familiar, the Agency is concerned by the finding of “no fault or negligence” and will not hesitate to exercise its right of appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, as appropriate. . ‘

US anti-doping chief Travis Tygart was scathing about the RUSADA verdict. He said: ‘WADA and the ISU (International Skating Union) have to appeal this decision, for the sake of the credibility of the anti-doping system and the rights of all athletes.

“The world cannot accept this self-serving decision by RUSADA, which in the recent past has been a key instrument of Russia’s state-sponsored doping fraud and does not comply. Justice demands a full and fair public hearing outside of Russia.

Amid the great attention that Valieva’s positive caused, she was authorized by the International Olympic Committee to compete in the individual competition, in which she was the great favorite for gold. Ultimately, she failed to medal after multiple knockdowns.