January 13, (THEWILL) – In a recent ruling, the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) has cleared teenage figure skater Kamila Valieva of committing a doping offence ahead of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.
The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) announced that RUSADA found Valieva to have “bore no fault or negligence” after a sample she gave at the Russian national championships in December 2021 tested positive for the banned substance trimetazidine.
At the time of the positive test, Valieva was just 15 years old and had already won gold in the Olympic team competition. Despite the positive test, a previous panel of judges from the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) allowed Valieva to compete in the women’s individual event at the Beijing Games, where she placed fourth.
Valieva argued that the positive test was the result of a mix-up with her grandfather’s heart medication. However, WADA expressed concerns over RUSADA’s decision and stated that they will review the decision before deciding whether to exercise their right to appeal to CAS.
Depending on the outcome of any potential appeal, the United States could potentially be upgraded from silver to gold in the team event. RUSADA did not publish the verdict of the case and previously announced that it will not publish any findings related to the case because Valieva was only 15 at the time of the positive test.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
