Olympics: Russian Valieva takes the ice after being cleared to compete

AFP

Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva will be allowed to compete in the women's singles in figure skating at the Beijing Olympics after a decision by sport's top court on Monday.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) said it had upheld the Russian Anti-Doping Agency's decision to lift a ban on the 15-year-old, who tested positive for a banned substance on December 25, in a statement released on its website on Monday.

The teen skating prodigy took to the ice half-an-hour after the decision, practicing with her Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) teammates ahead of the singles on Tuesday.

"Let's go Kamila!" Russian ice dancer Nikita Katsalapov said at the Capital Indoor Stadium after winning a silver medal and learning about the decision.

CAS cited the fact that Valieva was a "protected person" under World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) rules as one of the exceptional circumstances underpinning its decision.

Preventing Valieva from competing at the Olympics would have caused the 15-year-old irreparable harm, CAS said in its ruling.

The figure skater is one of the youngest athletes to face a doping charge during the Olympics, prompting global outrage at the role of the adults around the teenage skater and the continuing scourge of Russian doping in international sports.

"This appears to be another chapter in the systematic and pervasive disregard for clean sport by Russia," United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) CEO Sarah Hirshland said in a statement released after the decision.

LATE NOTIFICATION

The result of Valieva's positive drug test was not revealed until February 8 after she had competed in the team event at the Winter Games, dazzling the world with the first quad jumps ever completed in the women's Olympic competition.

CAS emphasised the "serious issues of untimely notification of the results" in its decision.

"Such late notification was not her fault, in the middle of the Olympic Winter Games," the ruling said.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC), WADA and the International Skating Union (ISU) had appealed RUSADA's decision to lift the provisional doping suspension of Valieva.

The CAS ruling did not address the merits of Valieva's drug case.

"We know this case is not yet closed, and we call on everyone in the Olympic Movement to continue to fight for clean sport on behalf of athletes around the world," Hirshland added.

Earlier, IOC spokesman Mark Adams said the awarding of medals for the team event cannot go ahead until the doping case is addressed.

It is not clear whether other members of the ROC team can receive gold medals. Second-placed Team USA and Japan in third are also waiting in the wings. Canada finished fourth.

"That will probably not be sorted out during this Games and that is something regrettable, but we have to follow the process," Adams said.

The women's singles, an event for which Valieva is hot favourite, starts with the short programme on Tuesday and concludes on Thursday with the free skating.

More from Sports News

  • Real Madrid finish off Real Sociedad in thriller to reach Spanish Cup final

    Real Madrid overturned a two-goal deficit against Real Sociedad to reach the Copa del Rey final after an extra-time header by substitute Antonio Ruediger secured a barnstorming 4-4 draw on Tuesday for a 5-4 aggregate win.

  • Saka seals comeback with goal as Arsenal beat Fulham

    Arsenal beat Fulham 2-1 in the Premier League on Tuesday thanks to another goal from stand-in striker Mikel Merino while Bukayo Saka struck a few minutes into his return from nearly four months out with injury.

  • Manchester City striker Haaland suffers ankle injury

    Manchester City's Erling Haaland sustained an ankle injury in their FA Cup quarter-final at Bournemouth over the weekend, the Premier League club said on Monday, with the striker requiring further tests to determine the full extent of the injury.

  • Rory McIlroy battling injury with Masters approaching

    Rory McIlroy acknowledged he is dealing with an elbow injury as he prepares to head to Augusta for next week's Masters. The World No. 2 made a spirited run up the leaderboard at the Texas Children's Houston Open on Sunday, carding a 4-under 31 on the front nine that included an eagle.

Blogs