Russian Teenager Who Put US Team’s Olympic Medal On Hold In Beijing Might Face A Huge Setback In Her Career

Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva might face a potential ban from the Winter Olympics in 2026. The young skater tested positive for doping during the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics. Kamila and her ROC team, who won the gold medal, might have to wait further to be felicitated.

16-year-old Kamila Valieva is a skater who has won many accolades. Currently, she is the world record holder for the women’s short program, free skating, and total scores. She also won the 2022 European championship. In 2021, she became the Rostelecom Cup champion and Skate Canada International champion. Kamila was the 2021 Russian National silver medalist and 2022 Russian national champion as well.

What’s the status of the Kamila Valieva doping case?

Kamila Valieva’s doping scandal began on December 25, 2021. She submitted her routine urine sample, which tested positive for banned drugs. Independent national anti-doping organization RUSADA did not forward the sample due to the pandemic delay. However, by that time, the Beijing Olympics had concluded, including the team events. Although Kamila and her ROC team had won the gold medal, felicitation did not take place owing to Kamila’s doping results.

Since then, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has sought a four-year ban on Valieva. The Court of Arbitration took the case in hand because of the lack of progress by the Russian Anti-Doping Agency.

In further investigation, the CAS released a statement on November 14 stating WADA’s proposition to ban Kamila Valieva for four years, including the upcoming Olympics in Italy. The CAS stated: “the athlete be sanctioned with a four-year period of ineligibility starting on the date on which the CAS award enters into force.”

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Following this, WADA also sought Kamila’s disqualification from all competitions from December 2021. Moreover, a provisional suspension came to Valieva for further participation. She cleared it on the next day by appealing to RUSADA’s independent Disciplinary Anti-Doping Committee (DAC) based on her age factor. However, the WADA, RUSADA, and IOC decided to investigate the case from a larger perspective, roping in Kamila’s coaches and teammates.

What justification did Kamila give for her doping allegation?

Trimetazidine is a banned substance for athletes. It was the same drug found in Valieva’s urine sample. During the investigation, the skater justified by saying that her grandfather uses it for medication, which she might have gulped unknowingly. Valieva’s legal team had previously claimed that her positive drug test could have resulted from a contaminated glass of water that contained traces of her grandfather’s heart medication.

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However, the concerned bodies related to the doping scandal are yet to decide on Kamila’s suspension for four years. Moreover, CAS’s anticipated verdict can further proceed to the Swiss Federal Tribunal if any of the parties wish to demand a review of it.