Agency confirms 15-year-old Russian skater doping, team gold

The ITA (International Testing Agency) confirmed this Friday the doping of Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva, 15. She tested positive before the start of the Beijing Winter Olympics.

Despite the positive test, RUSADA (Russia Anti-Doping Agency) lifted the athlete’s suspension so that she could prepare to compete in China. ITA and WADA (Anti-Doping Agency) have announced that they will appeal to the CAS (Arbitration Board for Sport) against this Russian decision.

Valieva’s doping took place at the Russian Figure Skating Championships in December last year. The result of the retest, released last Tuesday (8), was also positive. Trimetazidine, a drug for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases, was found.

The day before the retest, the athlete helped her team win team gold. If CAS decides that she could not participate, the medal will be cancelled. The decision should be made until next Tuesday (15), when Valieva hopes to return to compete in the Olympics. She is a favorite to win new events in figure skating. According to the Associated Press, the teenager has the unconditional support of the Russian government.

As she is only 15 years old, Valieva can only receive a warning.

“We wait for the process to end. And we support Kamila Valieva unreservedly and urge everyone to support her. We say to her: ‘Kamila, don’t hide your face, you are a Russian woman, walk proudly everywhere and, more than that, fight and win against everyone,” said Russian government spokesman Dmitry Peskov.

For the spokesman of the IOC (International Olympic Committee), Mark Adams, cases like this do not “help at all” the image of the Games.

As with the Tokyo Olympics last year, Russia competes in Beijing without its flag or national anthem. The country has been suspended over allegations of covering up the use of banned substances by athletes in recent years.