Kamila Valieva: Russian Anti-Doping Agency rules figure skater did not commit doping offence | News News

World Anti-Doping Agency “concerned” by Russian Anti-Doping Agency’s finding that teenage figure skater Kamila Valieva “bore no fault” for sample that tested positive for banned substance; Valieva was allowed to compete at last year’s Winter Olympics despite positive test coming to light

The Russian Anti-Doping Agency says Kamila Valieva ‘bore no fault or negligence’ for a sample she gave testing positive for a banned substance

The Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) has ruled teenage figure skater Kamila Valieva did not commit a doping offence ahead of last year’s Winter Olympics.

The World Anti-Doping Agency says RUSADA found Valieva “bore no fault or negligence” after a sample she had given at the Russian national championships in December 2021, two months before the Games in Beijing, tested positive for banned substance trimetazidine.

Valieva, 15 at the time, won gold in the Olympic team competition in February, a day before the positive test was announced – the result was late because the laboratory testing the sample was affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.

WADA’s statement on Friday said RUSADA would impose no sanction on Valieva beyond the disqualification of her results on the date of the sample collection in December 2021.

The World Anti-Doping Agency is ‘concerned’ by RUSADA’s finding on the Valieva case

WADA had been seeking a four-year ban and said in the statement that it was “concerned” by the finding and would not hesitate to exercise its right of appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) once it had reviewed the decision.

A previous CAS panel of judges allowed Valieva to compete in the women’s individual event at the Beijing Games – at which she came fourth – even under suspicion of doping, in part because of her age.

In her defence, Valieva said the positive test was the result of a mix-up with her grandfather’s heart medication.

RUSADA has not published the verdict and previously said it would not publish any findings related to the case because Valieva was only 15 at the time she tested positive.

Depending on the eventual result of any appeal, the case could result in the United States being upgraded from silver to gold in the team event.