1706633583
The International Sports Court (TAS) imposed a four-year ban on Russian figure skater Kamila Valiewa on Monday. Seventeen-year-old Valieva, then fifteen, tested positive for the banned substance trimetazidine on December 25, 2021, ahead of the Beijing Winter Games.
The news only broke when the games began in February. Valieva, the then world number one, had already won gold with the Russian team. Due to her young age, the Russian was allowed by the TAS to continue taking part in the Olympic tournament under a “protected status”. But the pressure finally became too much for her and in the freestyle of the individual competition, she made a lot of mistakes as the top favorite. Valieva surprisingly landed on the podium.
Valieva’s suspension will be retroactive to December 25, 2021. All Russian results since this date will therefore be deleted. This means Loena Hendrickx, who finished eighth at the Beijing Games, now moves up to seventh place. What’s more: the reigning European figure skating champion will still win the bronze medal at the 2022 European Championships as a result of this decision. Valieva won gold back then.
Fickle Russians
In January 2023, the controversial Russian anti-doping agency Rusada decided that a sanction was not necessary for the athlete. Rusada admitted an anti-doping rule violation, but noted there was no violation or negligence on Valieva’s part when she tested positive ahead of the Winter Games. The World Anti-Doping Agency Wada appealed to the TAS, joined by the International Skating Federation ISU and, remarkably, Rusada herself, who disagreed with the decision of her own disciplinary commission.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) had not yet awarded any medals for the team competition in Beijing until the verdict. There Russia won ahead of the USA, Japan and Canada.
“Victory for a pure sport”
The World Anti-Doping Agency Wada reacted with satisfaction to the four-year doping ban. “Doping in children is unforgivable,” he said. Valieva was only fifteen when she came into contact with the doping lamp in the run-up to the Beijing Games. The International Skating Union (ISU) has now raised the minimum age for figure skaters to seventeen.
“Doctors, trainers and other supervisors who administer banned substances to minors should receive the harshest punishment possible under the World Anti-Doping Code,” Wada ruled. “We also encourage governments to consider such acts as criminal and include them in the criminal code. This was already the case in some countries.”
“This is a victory for Wada, for clean sport and for athletes worldwide,” said Wada chairman Witold Banka. “Anyone who dopes children should go to prison.”
Valieva and her legal team have 30 days to appeal the TAS decision to the Swiss Supreme Court. This can only be done on the basis of procedural errors.
#Loena #Hendrickx #richer #European #Championship #medal #Russian #Kamila #Valievas #doping #ban