BEIJING (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 14th February, 2022) The International Olympic Committee (IOC) will respect any decision of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) regarding 15-year-old Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva's case, IOC spokesperson Mark Adams said.
According to the International Testing Agency, Valieva's probe, which was performed by a World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA)-accredited laboratory in Stockholm on December 25, contained a banned substance called trimetazidine. Valieva was initially suspended from continuing her participation in the Beijing Olympics after the results of the probe became known on February 8. She then appealed the suspension and was allowed to continue to participate in the Games. CAS started hearing the case on the Russian Anti-Doping Agency's decision to lift Valieva's temporary suspension on Sunday.
IOC spokesperson Mark Adams said that Valieva's case is being regarded as an isolated event and that nobody is making any hasty conclusions on who is responsible.
According to Adams, the IOC will respect any decision of the CAS regarding Valieva's participation in the individual event at the Beijing Olympics which will start on Tuesday, February 15.
The IOC is in consultations with national Olympic committees regarding the awards ceremony for Russian figure skaters who took gold in the team competition, Adams specified, saying that it remains unclear when the final decision on the Valieva case will be made.
According to the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC), Valieva tested negative for doping before and after the positive test of December 25. The test itself does not fall into the IOC jurisdiction and is not relevant to the Olympics, which is why the Russian Anti-Doping Agency's (RUSADA) Disciplinary Anti-Doping Committee lifted Valieva's suspension and allowed her to return to training.
The IOC's appeal against the RUSADA decision must be considered prior to February 15, which is when the women�s short program will take place.
