The World Anti-Doping Agency (AMA) on Tuesday appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in the case of Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva, seeking a four-year suspension for the 16-year-old for an unsanctioned positive test in Russia.
After being “concerned” with the lack of sanctions for the young skater, Olympic team champion, by the Russian anti-doping authorities, the AMA has now decided to appeal to the court, based in Lausanne, Switzerland, so that the skater can be sanctioned.
This protest is aimed precisely at the decision of the Russian courts, which did not sanction the athlete, the first woman to achieve a quadruple jump in Olympic competitions, among numerous world achievements.
According to the appeal, the results achieved since December 25, 2021, the date of collection of the sample that later tested positive, should also be cancelled, including those achieved at the Beijing2022 Winter Olympics.
The 2022 European champion tested positive for trimetazidine, used to treat angina pectoris and banned since 2014, found in minute amounts in the body.
Valieva’s defense claimed possible contamination “by shared cutlery” between the athlete and her grandfather, who is treated with this medicine.
At issue is a court decision in Russia that did not sanction Valieva for the positive test in 2021, then at the Russian Nationals, only disqualifying the results obtained on the day the sample was collected.
The Russian court considered that the skater, Olympic champion in the team competition in Beijing2022, should not be sanctioned, even if she admits to a violation of the anti-doping code.