Valieva Allowed to Continue Competing at Beijing Olympics

Russian figure skater and main gold contender at the Beijing Winter Olympics, Kamila Valieva, has been allowed to continue in the competition after the temporary restriction imposed on February 9 was lifted. This was reported by RIA Novosti, citing the press service of the International Testing Agency (ITA).

It is mentioned that a doping test taken from the athlete on December 25 yielded a positive result for the substance trimetazidine. Valieva has already become an Olympic champion as part of the Russian team in the team event at the Beijing Olympics. She contributed a maximum of 20 points to the team, allowing them to significantly outpace their nearest rival, the USA.

The medal ceremony was initially scheduled for February 7 but was postponed first to February 8 and then indefinitely. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) stated that the situation requires legal consultation from the International Skating Union (ISU).

Later, the publication Insidethegames reported that the postponement of the medal ceremony is related to Valieva’s doping test. The ITA confirmed that the test taken from Valieva on December 25, 2021, came back positive. The Stockholm anti-doping laboratory notified of this on February 8, after which the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) temporarily removed her from competition.

“The athlete appealed the temporary ban, and on February 9, RUSADA decided to lift it. Thus, the athlete is allowed to continue participating in the Olympic Games. The reasoning for this decision will be presented to all interested parties shortly,” the statement said.