World Anti-Doping Agency “concerned” after Russian verdict on Valiyeva
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The thriller about the Russian figure skater Kamila Valiewa never ends. After the turmoil at the Olympic Games in Beijing, her country’s doping agency has now decided that she is not to blame. The World Anti-Doping Agency Wada doubts that.
Dhe Russian figure skater Kamila Valiewa has been acquitted of a culpable doping offense by her country’s anti-doping agency (Rusada). As the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) announced on Friday, Rusada found the 16-year-old to have violated the doping rules, but “no fault or negligence” on the part of the team’s Olympic champion. Wada said she was “concerned” about Rusada’s verdict. You have now requested the justification for the decision and, if necessary, want to go to the International Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
European champion Valiewa tested positive for the banned substance trimetazidine on December 25, 2021 at the Russian championships. The only sanction that Rusada recognized was the result of the title fights.
The case became known at the Winter Olympics in Beijing last February, after the then 15-year-old Valiyeva won Olympic gold with the Russian team. A provisional suspension had been lifted again, so that she was also allowed to start in the women’s singles and finished fourth as the top favorite. In the team competition, the USA took second place and Japan third.
Most recently, Wada had already brought the case to the Cas because they accused Rusada of an unreasonable delay in processing. In the arbitration proceedings subsequently initiated by the Cas, Wada had already demanded a four-year ban for Valiyeva.