[Olympics] Valieva "It Was Tough but Happy to Compete at the Top"

Interview with Russian Channel One
"Women's Singles Match, a Stage to Overcome"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Figure skater Kamila Valieva (Russia), who maintained her eligibility to compete in the Olympics despite testing positive for doping, vowed to perform well. In an interview with Russia's Channel One broadcast on the 15th (Korean time), she said, "The past few days have been mentally very difficult," and added, "I am glad to be able to participate normally in the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics." Valieva said, "I thought I was going through a difficult time alone, but my friends and family have been with me," and "I will do my best representing Russia. This women's singles event seems like a stage I must overcome."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Valieva's urine sample submitted during the Russian National Championships last December tested positive for the banned substance trimetazidine. It is a stimulant that can be used to increase blood flow and enhance endurance, and was designated as a banned substance by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) in 2014. After the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) imposed a provisional suspension and then withdrew it, the International Olympic Committee (IOC), WADA, and the International Skating Union (ISU) filed an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). On the 14th, CAS cleared Valieva to compete in the Olympics. They judged that, as a minor under 15 years old, she is a protected person under WADA's information disclosure rules and could suffer irreparable harm. It was also noted that Valieva did not test positive during the Olympic period and that the doping result was only reported to RUSADA on the 8th, six weeks after the sample was collected.

Valieva will compete as scheduled in the women's singles short program of figure skating at the Beijing Winter Olympics on the evening of the 15th at the Beijing Capital Indoor Stadium in China.

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