'Dramatic Comeback' Valieva... Competing in Figure Skating Singles Despite Doping Allegations

CAS, IOC Appeal Dismissed
Path Open for Women's Singles on 15th
Russian 'Figure Star' Showcases Overwhelming Skill
Reputation Shaken After Official Confirmation of Positive Doping Test

Kamila Valieva, who became eligible to compete in the women's singles individual event at the Beijing Winter Olympics on the 15th / Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Juhyung] Russian female figure skating star Kamila Valieva (16), who was embroiled in doping allegations and faced possible expulsion from the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, has made a dramatic comeback. The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruled that there was no need to impose a suspension on Valieva, allowing her to participate in the individual event scheduled for the 15th.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) dismissed the appeals filed on the 14th by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), and the International Skating Union (ISU) against the Russian Anti-Doping Agency's (RUSADA) decision to withdraw Valieva's sanction.

Earlier, on the 8th, RUSADA had automatically imposed a provisional suspension after receiving test results that showed a positive doping result from Valieva's sample. However, the next day (the 9th), RUSADA accepted Valieva's appeal and withdrew the sanction.

In response, the IOC, WADA, and ISU opposed this and appealed to CAS, but they failed to overturn RUSADA's decision to withdraw the sanction.

CAS reportedly made this decision considering that Valieva is a protected athlete under the age of 16 and that the notification of the positive doping result was delayed, leaving the athlete's side insufficient time to take legal action.

As a result, Valieva has gained the opportunity to compete in the women's figure skating individual event on the 15th.

Valieva is regarded as a 'figure skating star' of Russia. Born on April 26, 2006, in Kazan, the capital of the Republic of Tatarstan, Russian Federation, she emerged like a comet by winning the 2020 World Junior Championships and the 2020-21 Junior Grand Prix Final.

In her senior debut last October at the 'ISU Challenger Series 2021 CS Finlandia Trophy,' she scored a total of 249.24 points, setting a new world record. Then, just over 20 days later, at the second event of the 'ISU Grand Prix,' she scored 265.08 points, breaking the world record once again.

On the 13th, Kamila Valieva was undergoing official training at the figure skating training center near the Capital Indoor Stadium in Beijing, China. Photo by Yonhap News

Valieva's skills are considered unparalleled. In particular, she mastered high-difficulty techniques such as the 'quadruple jump'?once considered the exclusive domain of some male skaters?overwhelming the judges.

As a result, public expectations for Valieva's performance at this Winter Olympics were naturally high.

In fact, she delivered a flawless performance in the figure skating team event held on the 6th, greatly contributing to Russia's gold medal win. In that competition, she scored 51.67 points for technical elements and 38.51 points for artistry, totaling 90.18 points. This was about 15 points ahead of Wakaba Higuchi, who holds the world’s second-best record.

However, on the 11th, it was officially confirmed that her sample tested positive for the banned substance trimetazidine, shaking Valieva's reputation.

Trimetazidine is a drug ingredient used to treat angina symptoms; it improves blood flow and can act as a stimulant, and has been classified as a banned substance since 2014.

The sample was collected on December 25 of last year in Saint Petersburg, Russia, where the Russian National Championships were held. However, ironically, the results came out on the 8th, the day after Russia secured first place in the figure skating team event at the Beijing Olympics. Because of this, the gold medal ceremony has been postponed.

Meanwhile, this is not the first time Russian athletes have been embroiled in doping allegations. Russia faced global criticism after a state-sponsored doping scandal was uncovered during the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics. As a result, Russia was sanctioned by the IOC and WADA, and Russian national athletes have been competing under the name of the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC).

National-level sanctions were temporarily lifted after the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics but were reinstated in 2019 following renewed allegations of doping sample data manipulation. Consequently, Russia is currently unable to use its country name not only at this Winter Olympics but also at the 2022 FIFA Qatar World Cup.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.