Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva has been handed a four-year ban for doping and she was stripped from her gold medal in the team event at the 2022 Beijing Winter Games nearly two years after the competition.
“Kamila Valieva is found to have committed an anti-doping rule violation and sanctioned with a four-year period of ineligibility commencing on 25 December 2021,” the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) said in a statement.
The verdict was immediately welcomed by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), which condemned Valieva’s doctors and coaches.
“I think for WADA and for clean sport, it means that after following due process a fair result to all athletes has been rendered by the Court of Arbitration for Sport,” WADA director general Olivier Niggli told Reuters.
“Even though the process might be a bit tortuous, the end result has been and is to the satisfaction of the clean athletes.
“It’s been a long, long case and we acknowledge the fact that it took a long time to get resolved.
“But we had to appeal this case from a decision initially that basically cleared the athlete of any fault.
“CAS has agreed with our position, which we are pleased with.”
In his response to the CAS decision, WADA President Witold Banka said the doping of minors should be a criminal offence.
“Anyone who dopes children should be in prison,” Banka said in a statement, opens new tab.
“We encourage governments to consider criminalizing the supply of performance-enhancing drugs to minors.”
The US Olympic Committee hailed the news as a “significant win not only for Team USA athletes but also for athletes worldwide who practice fair play and advocate for clean sport”.
“The incredible athletes of Team USA have displayed remarkable fortitude,” it added. “Their outstanding performances in Beijing will forever symbolize their commitment to clean competition.”
Valieva had become an instant global star as the first female skater to land a quadruple jump at a Winter Olympics.
Russia won gold in the team figure skating event on February 7 in 2022, but it was announced four days later that Valieva had failed a drugs test before the Games.
Russian athletes already faced scrutiny at the 2022 Games over separate doping sanctions and competed in Beijing as ROC athletes, without their flag or national anthem as punishment for tampering with laboratory data that could have identified drug cheats.
The ROC said in a statement: “In effect war has been declared on Russian sport and, as we can see, no holds are barred.”
With inputs from Reuters
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