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Kamila Valieva of Russia reacts at the conclusion of the Women’s Single Figure Skating Team competition in the Capital Indoor Stadium at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics on Monday. Photo by Richard Ellis/UPI | License Photo
Feb. 12 (UPI) — The Court of Arbitration for Sport is expected to rule Monday on an appeal of the Russian anti-doping committee’s lifting of Russian figure skater’s Kamila Valieva’s suspension.
The court announced the anticipated decision date in a statement Saturday, which also said it will hear the case by video conference Sunday.
Valieva, who has appeared at practice since the provisional suspension was lifted, was the gold medal favorite in women’s singles and the court decision is expected before the women’s individual competition starts in Beijing on Tuesday.
The Russian anti-doping committee, known also as RUSADA, provisionally suspended Valieva after a sample collected Dec. 25 at the Russian figure skating championships tested positive for a banned substance Tuesday. The body reversed its decision when the skater appealed at a hearing Wednesday.
The International Testing Agency, leading the Olympic Winter Games in Beijing’s anti-doping program, announced Friday the urgent appeal on behalf of the International Olympic Committee following RUSADA’s decision to lift the provisional suspension imposed on her.
The sample taken from Valieva in St. Petersburg tested positive for trimetazidine, a heart medication designed mostly for older people suffering from angina, a condition which causes chest pain when the heart muscle doesn’t get enough blood. The World Anti-Doping Agency has banned trimetazidine since 2014 for its potential to enhance blood flow efficiency and aid endurance.
RUSADA will issue a “reasoned decision” detailing the reason for lifting of Valieva’s suspension shortly, the ITA said in a statement.
“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,” the statement said.
Russian President of the Olympic Committee Stanlislav Pozdnyakov told Russian state news agency Tass on Friday he was concerned about how long it took to get the test results.
“In accordance with international standards for laboratories of the World Anti-Doping Agency, the deadline for sample A is 20 days from the moment the sample was received in the laboratory,” Pozdnyakov said.
He added that “it looks very strange,” that it took almost a month for the sample to get from St. Petersburg to Stockholm, Sweden.
“The delay in analysis and reporting by the laboratory was caused by another wave of COVID-19, an increase in illness among laboratory staff and quarantine rules,” RUSADA said in a statement.
Members of the Russian skating team jump for a photos with the mascot dolls Bing Dwen Dwen after winning the gold medal in the figure skating team event at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics on February 7. Photo by Richard Ellis/UPI | License Photo
1/5 Kamila Valieva of Russia reacts at the conclusion of the Women’s Single Figure Skating Team competition in the Capital Indoor Stadium at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics on Monday. Photo by Richard Ellis/UPI | License Photo Feb. 12 (UPI) — The Court of Arbitration for Sport is expected to rule Monday on an appeal of the Russian anti-doping committee’s lifting of Russian figure skater’s Kamila Valieva’s suspension. The court announced the anticipated decision date in a statement Saturday, which also said it will hear the case by video conference Sunday. Valieva, who has appeared at practice since the provisional suspension was lifted, was the gold medal favorite in women’s singles and the court decision is expected before the women’s individual competition starts in Beijing on Tuesday. The Russian anti-doping committee, known also as RUSADA, provisionally suspended Valieva after a sample collected Dec. 25 at the Russian figure skating championships tested positive for a banned substance Tuesday. The body reversed its decision when the skater appealed at a hearing Wednesday. The International Testing Agency, leading the Olympic Winter Games in Beijing’s anti-doping program, announced Friday the urgent appeal on behalf of the International Olympic Committee following RUSADA’s decision to lift the provisional suspension imposed on her. The sample taken from Valieva in St. Petersburg tested positive for trimetazidine, a heart medication designed mostly for older people suffering from angina, a condition which causes chest pain when the heart muscle doesn’t get enough blood. The World Anti-Doping Agency has banned trimetazidine since 2014 for its potential to enhance blood flow efficiency and aid endurance. RUSADA will issue a “reasoned decision” detailing the reason for lifting of Valieva’s suspension shortly, the ITA said in a statement. “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,” the statement said. Russian President of the Olympic Committee Stanlislav Pozdnyakov told Russian state news agency Tass on Friday he was concerned about how long it took to get the test results. “In accordance with international standards for laboratories of the World Anti-Doping Agency, the deadline for sample A is 20 days from the moment the sample was received in the laboratory,” Pozdnyakov said. He added that “it looks very strange,” that it took almost a month for the sample to get from St. Petersburg to Stockholm, Sweden. “The delay in analysis and reporting by the laboratory was caused by another wave of COVID-19, an increase in illness among laboratory staff and quarantine rules,” RUSADA said in a statement. Members of the Russian skating team jump for a photos with the mascot dolls Bing Dwen Dwen after winning the gold medal in the figure skating team event at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics on February 7. Photo by Richard Ellis/UPI | License Photo