Beijing Olympics: Valieva positive, Tas decides for the individual test

From the phenomenal first quadruple jump in Olympic history to the discomfort for the positivity recorded in December (and suspended by the Russian anti-doping agency) looming over his individual competition. The Games of Kamila Valieva, the Russian figure skater who seemed destined to score this Olympics, may already be over. After winning gold in the team competition, the 15-year-old Russian was the favorite in the individual figure skating which starts on Tuesday. It will be the Tas (Sports Arbitration Tribunal) that will decide: the International Testing Agency, the independent agency that manages anti-doping in Beijing 2022, has filed an appeal against the Russians’ decision to suspend the disqualification.

The stop

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The International Testing Agency confirmed reports that Valieva tested positive for trimetazidine (an antischemic drug on the IOC’s banned substance list) at the Russian national championships in St. Petersburg six weeks ago. The positive test was reported by a laboratory in Sweden only on Tuesday, the day after the gold won by Russia in the team event in which Valieva placed the first quadruple in Olympic history. The awarding of the medal risks slipping after the end of the Games. “The decision on the results of the Russian team in the team figure skating event can only be made by the International Federation after a final decision on the full merit of the case,” said the independent testing agency.

The appeal

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The Russian anti-doping agency initially suspended Valieva, but the disciplinary jury then accepted the appeal and released the skater who is protected by the World Anti-Doping Code. Under the guidelines, she may ultimately only receive a simple reprimand, because when a minor is involved in anti-doping rule violations, the focus of the mandatory investigation turns to the entourage, from coaches to doctors. “These cases are not useful in the Games,” said IOC spokesman Mark Adams. The urgent hearing in TAS will only consider the issue of the provisional ban on participation in these Games. “The IOC will exercise the right of appeal, it does not wait for Rusada’s reasoned decision, because a sentence is needed before the next competition in which the athlete should take part,” said the testing agency.

What happens now

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Valieva will likely lose her Russian national title in December, but may still be allowed to compete in Beijing next week. Today she trained on the main track inside the Capital Indoor Stadium together with teammates Alexandra Trusova and Anna Shcherbakova, both coached by Eteri Tutberidze. During the 45-minute session, she completed four quadruple jumps, one in a potentially high-scoring combination with a triple salchow.