Court of Arbitration for Sport will hear appeals on the Russian figure skater’s doping case, but a ruling isn’t expected for months.
kept the 2022 Beijing Olympics’ team figure skating medals from being awarded, nothing has been resolved. Valieva’s eligibility still is being debated, and the medals remain in storage.One of the most perplexing chapters in Olympic doping history, the case might finally move toward a resolution Tuesday, when the Court of Arbitration for Sport begins three days of hearings in Lausanne, Switzerland.
The CAS hearing will involve three entities filing appeals. The World Anti-Doping Agency and the International Skating Union are asking that Valievabackdated to Dec. 25, 2021, the day she provided a sample that contained the banned heart medication trimetazidine, a drug normally given to elderly people with heart conditions but one that can also enhance athletic performance.
Valieva’s test was disclosed on Feb. 11, 2022, three days after the Russian Olympic Committee skaters won the gold medal in the team event, ahead of the United States. The revelation led o the cancellation of the team event medal ceremony. RUSADA initially suspended Valieva for the test, then lifted the suspension a day later, causing WADA to ask CAS to reinstate the suspension. CAS denied the appeal, allowing RUSADA to investigate.
“The sad thing about this is that this is a routine case,” said Travis Tygart, CEO of the United States Anti-Doping Agency, who has been vocal in his frustration with the way Russia has handled doping cases for the past several years. “Yes, the stakes are higher, but it’s a relatively straightforward positive test. Lots of these cases are dealt with in the global system. This one has been delayed and hijacked by the Russian system that has created this tragedy.