Doping control at the 2022 Winter Olympics called into question after Russian Kamila Valieva: NPR

Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva skates during practice Saturday at the Capital Indoor Stadium training ground in Beijing, China.

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Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva skates during practice Saturday at the Capital Indoor Stadium training ground in Beijing, China.

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BEIJING – Officials with the International Olympic Committee say they have been working for nearly a decade to implement a system to help curb the widespread and systematic use of doping by Russian athletes.

So how was it that a drug test carried out in December that revealed drug use by one of Russia’s most famous stars was not revealed until she competed in Beijing?

“Is it as sinister as a potential cover-up that a whistleblower exposed?” Travis Tygart, head of the US Anti-Doping Agency, which handles drug tests on US Olympic athletes. “Or are you incompetent, not handling the Game’s samples in time?”

The timeline of the case, involving 15-year-old figure skater phenom Kamila Valieva, First woman to achieve a quad in an Olympic competitionare in trouble.

According to two drug testing agencies that cooperate with the International Olympic Committee, Valieva submitted the form on December 25, 2021, after a competition in St.Petersburg, Russia.

The sample is sent immediately to a laboratory in Sweden for processing.

But in separate statements, the World Anti-Doping Agency and the International Inspection Agency acknowledged the results of that test were not made public until February 7, 2022 – after Valieva slipped a screen. brilliant performance in the figure skating event of the Olympic team.

“Obviously I can’t explain that”

Officials from the International Olympic Committee were asked multiple times about that 45-day setback and the apparent break in the drug-testing regime.

“Obviously I can’t explain that,” said IOC spokesman Mark Adams. “I don’t know about the exact test distribution and sample delivery.”

Adams pointed to speculation that Valieva’s test processing may have been delayed because of the COVID pandemic, but said he could not confirm that was a factor.

Kamila Valieva of Team ROC stands with coach Eteri Tutberidze during figure skating practice at the Beijing Winter Olympics on Saturday, February 12, 2022.

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Kamila Valieva of Team ROC stands with coach Eteri Tutberidze during figure skating practice at the Beijing Winter Olympics on Saturday, February 12, 2022.

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An official at the media office of the Russian Olympic Committee in Beijing, who declined to give her name, said they also had concerns about Valieva’s delay in reporting test results.

“We had the same question,” she said. “We are waiting for information.”

The official then forwarded a statement to NPR from ROC President Stanislav Pozdnyakov, which was first quoted on Russia’s TASS news agency, indicating the timing raises “serious questions about the process.” ”

Valieva led the Russians to a clear victory in the team figure skating competition on February 7, with the United States finishing in second place.

But the medal ceremony was never held and it remains unclear who will receive the gold medal.

The day after the competition, on 8 February, Valieva was briefly suspended by Russia’s national drug testing agency, known as RUSADA, and informed that she would not be allowed to compete further at the competition. Olympic.

Valieva appealed their decision, and on February 9, after a meeting in Moscow, Russian officials reinstated her. She resumed training in Beijing ahead of Tuesday’s women’s singles figure skating competition – but she has not spoken publicly about her situation.

In a statement, the Russian Olympic Committee said Valieva had undergone two additional drug tests since December, including a sample taken in Beijing.

“Both lead to negative,” the ROC said, adding that the country’s sports officials intend to “protect the rights and interests of ROC team members and keep Olympic gold medals won.” in fair competition.”

Will Valieva be allowed to play on Tuesday?

IOC officials declined to comment on the details of the incident but they were clearly unhappy with Russia’s decision to allow Valieva to return to the ice.

On Friday, the IOC and the World Anti-Doping Agency submitted the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, an international body that is expected to decide Valieva’s fate by Tuesday.

The IOC’s Adams said the goal is to get a final answer quickly.

“We have the reality of an impending event that needs to be addressed for all of us,” says Adams. “We all want to see a focus on sports. No one wants to see us looking at, focusing on potential cases of doping.”

After Valieva’s eligibility is resolved, questions will remain about how the anti-doping protections of the Olympic Games failed to prevent a mess of this magnitude.

Russian athletes are currently competing in Beijing temporarily due to previous investigations showing that the country’s sports delegations used widespread and systematic doping.

The penalties include a ban on playing the Russian national anthem and flying the Russian flag at the Olympics.

The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee released a statement saying the Valieva case has “turned off” the prestige of the Olympic movement.

USOPC board chair Susanne Lyons said: “It is imperative that we protect integrity and advocate for fair and clean sport for all.

Speaking on Saturday, the IOC’s Adams said he hoped the investigation into Valieva would expand beyond her drug use and include the conduct of Russian figure skating coaches and officials. .

“We highly recommend that. It’s very important.”

Kamila Valieva (L) and the rest of Team ROC celebrate their gold medal achievement during the Team Event flower arrangement on February 7, 2022 at the Beijing Winter Olympics.

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Kamila Valieva (L) and the rest of Team ROC celebrate their gold medal achievement during the Team Event flower arrangement on February 7, 2022 at the Beijing Winter Olympics.

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