Thunderbolt on the Beijing Olympics. Russian skater Kamila Valieva, 15-year-old favorite for Olympic gold, had a positive doping test at the end of December before the 2022 Olympics. Information announced Friday by the ITA, the body in charge of anti-doping controls during the Olympic Games. Her participation in the women’s individual competition, scheduled for February 15 and 17, is now suspended to an expected decision of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), seized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), said the ITA.
Valieva tested positive for trimetazidine, used to relieve angina pectoris and banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency since 2014, during a test carried out on December 25 at the Russian championships in Saint Petersburg by the Russian agency. anti-doping (Rusada), explained the ITA in its press release.
His provisional suspension immediately lifted by the Russian anti-doping agency
The result of this control was known on February 8, the day after Valieva won Olympic gold with Russia. The Russian agency immediately suspended Valieva on a provisional basis, which appealed against this sanction. The young Russian obtained the lifting of this provisional suspension by the Russian anti-doping on February 9.
But the IOC has decided to appeal the lifting of this suspension to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), because “a decision is necessary before February 15”, the date of the start of the women’s individual competition. Early Friday afternoon, the Russian Olympic Committee said the skater had “the right” to continue the Games, saying there was “no reason” to cancel the gold medal. won by Valieva and the Russian Committee team at the start of the fortnight.
Asked during the IOC’s daily press briefing in Beijing, Olympic body spokesman Mark Adams explained that it was a “very legal” matter. “There are larger questions about this case, because she is a minor so we cannot communicate,” he said.
Russia embroiled in doping case again
“The IOC has a policy that is 100% against doping and very clearly we will pursue all doping cases to the end. But here we have an ongoing case, so we can’t comment, especially since it’s a minor sportswoman. You have to be careful, ”added Mark Adams.
The case is a new episode linking doping to a Russian athlete. A major organized doping system had been updated after the Sochi Winter Games in 2014. Sanctioned for the first time at the Rio Olympics in 2016, Russia can no longer participate as a nation in the Olympic Games since Pyeongchang in 2018. In South Korea, like this summer in Tokyo or currently in China, athletes participate under the banner of the “Olympic Committee of Russia”, with the Olympic flag as their emblem. They must return to their usual colors for Paris 2024.
Valieva, favorite of the women’s individual competition, is the new sensation of figure skating. Since her arrival on the senior circuit this winter, the Russian teenager, trained by the famous and severe Eteri Tutberidze, is undefeated and flew over the European Championships in Tallinn last month. During the team event of the 2022 Olympics, she became the first woman to land quadruple jumps at the Olympics, during her free program.