Russian gold favorite Kamila Valiyeva has been allowed to compete in singles figure skating at the Beijing Winter Games despite a previous doping offense. In an urgent procedure, the International Court of Arbitration for Sport Cas rejected the objections against the lifting of a provisional ban on the 15-year-old.
For a good five and a half hours, three sports lawyers from Italy, the USA and Slovenia heard the arguments of the parties to the proceedings. Valiyeva was also connected via video.
Positive test already in December
Valiyeva’s suspension after a positive doping test for the banned substance trimetazidine on December 25 was in Beijing by the Russian Anti-Doping Agency RUSADA been lifted. The International Olympic Committee (I.O.C) and the World Anti-Doping Agency WADA appealed against the decision.
The result of the rehearsal did not arrive until February 8, a day after Russia’s victory in the team competition, in which Valiyeva played a key role.
Decision on team gold still open
Whether the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) is allowed to keep his team gold, as well as possible further personal consequences for Valiyeva will only be decided at a later date. Behind the Russians they had USAJapan and Canada.
It is “not possible at this time to consider the results of the team competition as final“, CAS Director Matthieu Reeb told the German Press Agency. IOC spokesman Mark Adams considers a final decision on the gold question for the team competition to be unlikely during the Olympic Games, as he commented on Monday (February 14).