Russian star figure skater Kamila Valieva tested positive for a banned substance during December’s Russian Figure Skating Championships, the International Testing Agency confirmed Thursday, as rumors of her positive tests swirled in reports for days. However, a decision on her competing in the individual event will now go to an appeal hearing.
Valieva was a heavy favorite in the women’s event after scoring a record-high total in the team event.
Valieva tested positive for trimetazidine, a heart medication, and was provisionally suspended on Dec. 25, 2021, by the Russian Anti-Doping Agency, or RUSADA. The sample was collected by RUSADA, not the ITA, according to the agency, and not under the direct jurisdiction of the International Olympic Committee and thus her identity was not revealed.
The ITA was informed of the positive test on Feb. 8, after the team competition was wrapped up with the Russian Olympic Committee winning gold.
The testing agency said it does not typically reveal the name of minors — Valieva is just 15 years old — but did so due to “the necessity for official information due to heightened public interest.”
The suspension prohibits her from competing in the Beijing Olympics, and thus the individual event, however, Valieva appealed the suspension and RUSADA cleared her to compete on Feb. 9.
The IOC is now challenging RUSADA’s decision, according to the ITA, and the IOC said a rushed decision from the Court of Arbitration for Sport will take place before the women’s event.
“The IOC will exercise its right to appeal and not to wait for the reasoned decision by RUSADA, because a decision is needed before the next competition the athlete is due to take part in (Women Single Skating, 15 February 2022),” the ITA wrote.
The reports began to grow in intensity after the medal ceremony for the gold medal-winning Russian Olympic Committee team, helmed by Valieva, was delayed. The ITA said Thursday a decision on whether the ROC will be able to keep its medals after the full appeal process for Valieva takes place, which will come once an analysis of her B sample is completed.
The figure skating team event medal ceremony was delayed due to what the International Olympic Committee described as “legal issues.”
The medal ceremony was scheduled for Tuesday, before it was postponed. The athletes still have not received their medals.
The Russian Olympic Committee won gold in the team event, while the United States and Japan won silver and bronze, respectively.
Russian news outlets reported that Valieva tested positive for a banned drug before the Olympics, resulting in the ceremony being postponed.
Russian newspapers RBC and Kommersant reported that Valieva tested positive for trimetazidine, a medication used to treat chest pain.
Valieva made history in the event when she became the first woman to land a quadruple jump at the Winter Olympics. She won the women’s portion of the team event, earning the ROC 10 points.
“I am glad that I was able to do the quad Salchow, quad toe and the triple Axel,” she said, according to the International Skating Union. “Only the second quad toe did not happen, but I’ll work on that.”
The young skater is scheduled to compete again in the women’s singles event next week.
Valieva is the only minor on the ROC team who participated in the team event.
Russian athlete are competing under the name “Russian Olympic Committee” due to an ongoing ban against Russia participating in the games due to its previous doping violations. This is the second Olympics in a row that Russia has been banned from.
The World Anti-Doping Agency banned the country from all international sporting events because of its doping violations.
The agency allowed athletes who could prove they are clean and unconnected to the cover-up to compete.