"Grandfather Said Medicine Was Mixed"... Russian Valieva Administered 56 Types of Drugs

Multiple Drug Administrations in Ages 13-15
Foreign Media Suspect Systematic Drug Use by Russian Side

Russian figure skating star Kamila Valieva (17), who was suspended for violating anti-doping regulations, was found to have been administered a staggering 56 different drugs between the ages of 13 and 15.

Russian figure skating star Kamila Valieva (17). [Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

On the 13th (local time), the British daily The Times cited the ruling of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) and reported that "three team doctors of the (Russian) team administered a cocktail of heart medication, muscle enhancers, and performance enhancers to Valieva over two years leading up to the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics." The list of substances that Valieva tested positive for included the steroid hormone ecdysterone, cyproxen which improves lung capacity, L-carnitine which converts fat into energy, the amino acid supplement creatine which enhances muscle strength, and stimol which reduces fatigue. This amounted to administering performance-enhancing drugs by mixing various amino acid supplements and energy boosters.

Valieva's medical team explained to CAS that "Valieva was diagnosed with heart disease at age 14 and took heart medication, and the substances that tested positive for doping were part of the therapeutic mixture," but this was rejected. Valieva herself claimed that "the positive drug test was due to strawberries prepared on a cutting board that her grandfather used to crush pills," but this was not accepted.

The media suspected systematic drug administration by Russia. It reported, "One of the three doctors who administered drugs to Valieva, Dr. Philipp Shvetsky, has been with the Russian figure skating team since 2010," adding, "He was the team doctor for the Russian rowing team in 2007 and was suspended for two years for administering banned substances to athletes." Furthermore, "Although Valieva was disciplined, none of the three team doctors or coach Yekaterina Tutberidze of the Russian figure skating team received any sanctions." Olivier Niggli, Secretary General of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), called it a "shocking case," but also said, "On the other hand, Valieva was sacrificed to protect the adults who led the drug administration."

Earlier, Valieva caused a scandal when banned substances trimetazidine, hypoxen, and L-carnitine were detected in her urine sample ahead of the women's singles figure skating event at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics in February. Trimetazidine is an angina treatment drug that can be used to enhance athletes' physical efficiency and was designated as a banned substance in 2014. Hypoxen and L-carnitine are not banned substances, but their combination is known to improve athletic performance and endurance. WADA filed a complaint with CAS against the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) and Valieva in November 2022 after RUSADA delayed the investigation. In January, CAS imposed a four-year suspension on Valieva. With Valieva's results at the Beijing Winter Olympics annulled, Russia's team gold medal was also invalidated.

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