According to WADA, a Russian disciplinary hearing found ‘no fault or negligence’ by the figure skater
Valieva pictured in competition in Moscow in October. © Sefa Karacan / Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
Russian officials have determined that Olympic figure skater Kamila Valieva bore “no fault or negligence” for the doping rule violation which triggered a major scandal at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, according to the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).
WADA announced on Friday that it had been informed by the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) of the results of a disciplinary tribunal held on Valieva’s case.
The figure skater, who was aged 15 at the time, returned a positive test for the banned heart medication trimetazidine in a sample collected at the Russian Championships in December 2021. However, the result was only reported once she had competed in the figure skating team event at the Beijing Games in February 2022 – where she helped the Russian team to gold.
WADA said in its statement that a Russian tribunal “found that although the athlete had committed an Anti-Doping Rule Violation, she bore ‘no fault or negligence’ for it.” It noted that the decision by the tribunal ruled that Valieva would have her results disqualified for the date of the collection of the sample – December 25, 2021. That means Valieva is set to lose her 2021 Russian national title.
WADA had already filed a complaint in November with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) expressing dissatisfaction with RUSADA’s handling of the case and accusing it of delays.
In Friday’s statement, WADA said it “had requested a copy of the full reasoned decision, which it will review together with the case file in order to determine whether the ruling is in line with the terms of the World Anti-Doping Code.”
“However, based on the elements of the case with which WADA is already familiar, the Agency is concerned by the finding of ‘no fault or negligence’ and will not hesitate to exercise its right of appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, as appropriate,” it added.
“Following a full review of the RUSADA decision, WADA will consider what its next steps will be so that the matter is dealt with as quickly as possible and without further undue delay. WADA can make no further comment until it has received and reviewed the reasoned decision and case file.”
Throughout the case, RUSADA has cited Valieva’s status as “protected person” due to her age. Speaking in December, organization president Veronika Loginova dismissed allegations that RUSADA had taken too long to resolve the case or that it had been mishandled.
“We do not agree with the claim that RUSADA failed to organize the hearings on time,” Loginova said. “We officially announced our position, namely, our intention not to publicly disclose any details of the progress of the consideration of [Valieva’s] case.
“We were guided by the fact that the disclosure of such information would not benefit any of the parties involved in the case. The right of public disclosure remains with us, and when the final decision on the case is made, we will return to this issue.”
Valieva’s positive sample was collected at the Russian Championships and sent to a WADA-accredited laboratory in Stockholm, Sweden, for analysis. The result was only reported after Valieva had participated in the team event at the Beijing Games, with delays blamed on Covid-related issues at the facility.
Amid intense media scrutiny, Valieva was cleared by an emergency CAS panel to perform in the individual event, but the ordeal took its toll and Valieva finished a disappointing fourth despite being the strong favorite for gold.
Her team has denied any wrongdoing in the case, maintaining that the positive test may have come as a result of contamination from heart medication that Valieva’s grandfather was taking. Russian official also stated that Valieva consistently passed other doping tests.
The scandal in Beijing meant that the medal ceremony was not held the team event, where the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) had topped the podium ahead of the USA and Japan. Canada finished in fourth. WADA has indicated it could pursue a four-year ban for Valieva with CAS, which would mean she and the Russian team are stripped of their Olympic title.
Valieva and her compatriots have been banned from international competitions by the International Skating Union (ISU) this season because of the conflict in Ukraine. That has restricted them to domestic events, and Valieva finished second at the Russian Championships in December, behind 15-year-old star Sofia Akateva.
