The breakdown of 15-year-old figure skater Kamila Valiyeva’s doping case continues. Now three substances were detected in their sample. Sanctions will be discussed after the games.
New details in the “case” of Kamila Valiyeva: According to information from the “New York Times”, three different substances for the treatment of heart problems were discovered in the doping test of the 15-year-old figure skater – one forbidden and two allowed. This emerges from a document that was presented to the CAS at the hearing for the Russian woman’s permission to start in the individual competition at the Winter Games in Beijing.
The alleged reason is the grandfather
Valiewa won the short program on Tuesday after the whirlwind and will start the freestyle on Thursday as the favorite. She had argued before the judges of the Sports Court’s ad hoc commission that her sample for the banned drug trimetazidine had been contaminated by one of her grandfather’s drugs. This was confirmed by the Swiss Denis Oswald, Chairman of the IOC Disciplinary Commission.
According to the New York Times, Valiyeva’s grandfather said in a video message to Rusada’s Russian anti-doping authorities that he was taking the drug trimetazidine to treat “attacks”. Russian media reported that Valiyeva allegedly drank from the same glass as her grandfather.
Young woman is considered vulnerable
Her mother said Valiyeva takes the substance Hypoxen for cardiac arrhythmia. L-carnitine, which can help against circulatory disorders, also appeared in the analysis. The combination of the three substances “appears to be aimed at increasing endurance, reducing fatigue and promoting more efficient use of oxygen,” said Travis Tygart, head of the US anti-doping agency Usada.
Valiyeva was tested at the Russian championships on December 25, but the result of the test, which was evaluated in the laboratory in Stockholm, was not available until February 8 – a day after the Russians won the Olympic team competition. Nevertheless, Rusada lifted Valiyeva’s suspension, the IOC, the World Anti-Doping Agency Wada and the World Skating Association ISU had appealed against it, but lost before the CAS.
He justified his judgment with the age of Valiyeva, who is considered to be in need of protection as she is under 16. In addition, due to the delay in evaluating the sample, she had no chance of reacting to a suspension in a legally appropriate manner. Banning him from the Beijing games would have done Valiyeva “irreparable damage,” the CAS judges said. Whether and which sanctions threaten the European champion will only be decided in a further procedure after the games, in which she is running with reservations.
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