Kamila Valieva of Team China skates during the Women’s Singles Figure Skating Team Event on day three of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games at the Capital Indoor Stadium on February 7, 2022.
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Kamila Valieva of Team China skates during the Women’s Singles Figure Skating Team Event on day three of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games at the Capital Indoor Stadium on February 7, 2022.
Matthew Stockman / Getty Images
BEIJING – A Russian athlete has once again been at the center of a doping scandal affecting the Winter Olympics in Beijing.
Based on statement released by the International Testing Agency, Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva tested positive for the use of a heart-boosting drug on December 25, 2021.
The positive result was given during a skating competition in St.Petersburg, Russia.
According to the ITA, Valieva was initially told she would be prevented from “competing, training … or participating in any activity, during the Olympic Winter Games.”
But for reasons that are unclear, IOC officials appear to have not been informed of the drug test and Valieva was allowed to participate in the Olympic team’s figure skating competition that began on February 4.
Then, on February 9, Russia’s national anti-doping agency announced that her “temporary suspension” had been lifted. No explanation for that decision has been given.
After the skating competition ended, it appeared that the Russian athletes were ready to take the gold medal, with the American skater in second place.
But four days after the medals were supposed to be awarded, the results were still in limbo.
In its statement, the ITA did not say why Valieva was allowed to skate in Beijing. It is not yet clear if she will be allowed to skate in additional events in the coming days.
Her eligibility will be decided at an ‘urgent meeting’ of the Court of Arbitration for Sport ahead of the women’s individual skating events taking place on Tuesday in Beijing.
Meanwhile, International Olympic Committee officials have released little information about the incident even as the controversy threatens to overshadow the sports competitions in Beijing.
IOC spokesman Mark Adams described Valieva’s case as a “legal matter” and asked for patience. “Legal lawsuits can be really tough but the important thing is that everyone gets full justice,” he said.
However, according to the ITA statement, the IOC is actively challenging the decision of Russia’s national anti-doping agency to allow Valieva to skate.
“The IOC will exercise its right of appeal,” the ITA said, adding that a decision on Valieva’s status is needed “before the next contest” on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, The US Olympic and Paralympic Committee issued a scathing statement demanding a speedy resolution. “[T]His total credibility with the Olympic Movement and the Paralympic Movement is on the brink,” the statement read.
“We are obligated to protect integrity and support fair and clean sport for all.”
Because of past doping scandals, Russian athletes have competed here under a temporary agreement that identifies them as members of the “Russian Olympic Committee” rather than representatives of Russia itself.
But critics say the IOC arrangement is like a slap on the wrist and point to evidence that Russia’s sports program is still rife with systematic doping.
ROC Team gold medal winners pose during the Team Event flower ceremony at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games on Monday, February 7. That medal is now in doubt after questions about Kamila Valieva’s eligibility after she tested positive for drugs.
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ROC Team gold medal winners pose during the Team Event flower ceremony at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games on Monday, February 7. That medal is now in doubt after questions about Kamila Valieva’s eligibility after she tested positive for drugs.
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“There is no evidence that anything has changed,” said Travis Tygart, head of the US Anti-Doping Agency, the agency in charge of drug testing for the USOPC.
Tygart said drug use by Russian athletes, and the tolerance of the problem by the IOC, has “contaminated” the credibility of the Olympic Games, summer and winter, since 2012.
When asked why the IOC didn’t take Russia down, Tygart said: “It’s simplicity, power and money. That’s at the heart of the decisions that have been made so as not to have any possible consequences. meaningful for Russia from day one.”
This scandal is complicated by the fact that the participating athlete is a minor, only fifteen years old. The IOC’s Mark Adams confirmed today that an investigation is currently underway that will look into the conduct of her coaches and others involved in the Russian skating program.
“We’re not just looking at the athletes involved in these cases, we’re also looking at the entourage, which is very important,” he said.
But on Friday, Adams declined to say what the timeline would be to determine Valieva’s status or to award a medal in the team figure skating competition.
