Ad Hoc Division of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on Monday declined to impose a provisional suspension on the Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva.
This means the fifteen-year-old Russian skater who was tested positive for a banned heart medication in December will be allowed to participate in the Beijing 2022Winter Olympics.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruled that Valieva could compete in the short program of the women’s single skating competition, an event that she’s a favourite to win.
Notably, Valieva starred in Russian Olympic Committee’s (ROC) victory in the team event in Beijing on February 7.
CAS today upheld a decision by the Russian Anti-Doping Agency’s (RUSADA) agency to lift a provisional suspension against Valieva on February 9 that it had imposed against the skater just one day earlier.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC), International Skating Union (ISU), and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) had appealed RUSADA’s decision after the December test results became known.
CAS said in a statement it had decided Valieva should be allowed to compete due to “exceptional circumstances,” including specific provisions linked to her status as a “protected person” — because she is a minor — under the World Anti-Doping Code.
The Executive Board (EB) of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) took note of the decision by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) and later announced that: “Should Ms Valieva finish amongst the top three competitors in the Women’s Single Skating competition, no flower ceremony and no medal ceremony will take place during the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022.”
“In the interest of fairness to all athletes and the NOCs concerned, it would not be appropriate to hold the medal ceremony for the figure skating team event during the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022 as it would include an athlete who on the one hand has a positive A-sample, but whose violation of the anti-doping rules has not yet been established on the other hand,” the statement added.
The IOC also requested the International Skating Union (ISU), for reasons of fairness, to allow a 25th competitor to participate in the Free Skating part of the competition on February 17, in case Valieva is ranked in the first 24 of the short programme on February 15. (ANI)
