Russian figure skater Valieva can skate again at Olympics
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The Court of Arbitration for Sport rules in the favor of Russian teenage figure skater Kamila Valieva and allows her to resume competing in the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.
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Russian teenage figure skater Kamila Valieva
Russian teenage figure skater Kamila Valieva can compete again at the Beijing Olympics after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) said on Monday that she should not be suspended for failing a drugs test.
The court ruled that the 15-year-old could take part in the women's singles event that begins on Tuesday.
The young Russian will be a favorite to win, but she has not been cleared of doping and could still face punishment at a later date.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) confirmed that if Valieva finished in the top three, it will not hold a medal ceremony until the doping issue was resolved.
Exceptional circumstances
CAS said it had rejected appeals by the IOC, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), and the International Skating Union to have Valieva's suspension reinstated after it was lifted by Russian anti-doping authorities.
The court cited "exceptional circumstances", including Valieva's young age.
Matthieu Reeb, CAS' director-general, considered that preventing Valieva from competing would have caused her "irreparable harm".
CAS also emphasized that "there were serious issues of untimely notification" of the test result.
Late notification
Valieva gave a sample on December 25, but the result was only produced last week after she led Russia to win a gold medal.
"Such late notification was not her fault, in the middle of the Olympic Winter Games," the ruling said.
The Russian Olympic Committee hailed the decision, saying, "Tomorrow the whole country will support her."
On the other hand, the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee was angered by the ruling and said it was "disappointed by the message this decision sends."
"This appears to be another chapter in the systemic and pervasive disregard for clean sport by Russia," it raged.
Positive for trimetazidine
Valieva tested positive for trimetazidine, which is used to treat angina but is banned because it can increase blood flow efficiency and help endurance for athletes.
It took six weeks for the result of the test to be processed by a WADA-accredited laboratory in Stockholm.
The Russian anti-doping agency (RUSADA) was notified of the positive result on February 8 and suspended Valieva, but she appealed and the suspension was lifted.
The day before she received the result, Valieva helped Russia win the figure skating team title, producing a dazzling performance as she became the first woman to land a quadruple jump in Olympic competition.
