The Russian athlete is at the centre of a doping scandal
Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva will find out on Monday if she will still be allowed to compete at the Winter Olympics after she became involved in an alleged doping scandal.
The 15-year-old made headlines as she stormed her way to the gold medal in the team short program whilst also becoming the first female to land four quadruple jumps at the Games.
It was reported on the same day she won gold (Monday February 7) that Valieva had tested positive for the banned substance trimetazidine towards the end of 2021.
As per the Daily Mail, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) have faced calls to ban Russia from the Olympics altogether however the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) have confirmed they will meet on Sunday (February 13) to discuss Valieva’s fate.
The youngster will now face a nervy wait to see if she will be allowed to compete in the individual event on Tuesday, in which she is the favourite to win, but the IOC, the International Skating Union and World Anti-Doping Agency appealing to CAS to reinstate the suspension.
Dick Pound, a member of the IOC said: “At a certain point if they are absolutely incorrigible you end up with the position of taking a country timeout. We could say we can help you. You’ve got a problem. We can concentrate on it.
“Take a time out for one or two, or three Olympic Games until you get this under control.”
Meanwhile Valieva’s coach Eteri Tutberidze defended her athlete and insisted that she believes she is clean.
“I want to say that I am absolutely sure that Kamila is innocent and clean,” she said.
“For us, this is not a theorem, but an axiom, it does not need to be proved. We are with our athletes, in trouble and in joy, to the end.
“It is very unclear why an athlete with a dubious doping test on December 25 was admitted to the Olympic Games. Either this is a fatal coincidence, or this is a very competent plan.
“I really hope that our leaders will not abandon us, defend our rights and prove our innocence.”
Related links:
- Russian figure skating team not given gold medals due to ‘legal issue’
- 15-year-old Kamila Valieva lands historic quadruple jump at Winter Olympics
- Canadian snowboarder wins gold medal three years after cancer diagnosis
