The International Testing Agency (ITA) has officially announced that Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva did pass a positive doping test. However, the sample was taken on 25 December.
This is reported press office International testing agency.
Valieva’s sample was taken by the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) on December 25, 2021, during the Russian Figure Skating Championship. A WADA-accredited laboratory reported that on February 8, 2022, a sample tested positive for an unspecified banned substance, trimetazidine. After that, Valieva was temporarily suspended.
Under the IOC anti-doping rules, RUSADA’s decision on a provisional suspension automatically bans an athlete from all sports, including the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics.
“Because the Sample was collected by RUSADA prior to the Winter Games, this matter is not under the jurisdiction of the IOC and therefore is not directly administered by the ITA. In accordance with the IOC Anti-Doping Rules, the ITA immediately informed the Athlete that the provisional suspension imposed on her by RUSADA is mandatory for the IOC and an athlete is prohibited from competing, training, coaching or participating in any activity during the Winter Olympic Games,” the ITA said.
However, on February 9, Valieva challenged the imposition of the provisional suspension before the RUSADA Disciplinary Anti-Doping Committee, and a hearing was held on the same day. The decision was made in favor of the athlete, which allowed her to continue participating in the Winter Olympics in Beijing.
