By Oviri Kelvin
The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has cleared Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva, who failed a doping test in December last year to compete in the Winter Olympics.
With this development, Kamilia Valieva will be participating in the women’s single figure skating at the Capital Indoor Arena in Beijing on Tuesday.
According to CAS, the Russian teenage athlete under the World Anti Doping Agency (WADA) rules, as one of the exceptional circumstances, is a “protected person”.
As a result of this decision by CAS, the figure skater will have to continue with her Olympic campaign for a gold medal in Beijing notwithstanding the disapproval by sports’ stakeholders against CAS pronouncement.
CAS added that no further provisional suspension should be imposed on Kamila Valieva.
They cited certain fringes that influenced its decisions like the “exceptional circumstances “, “protected person” under the world anti-doping code, “serious issues” based on the timing of releasing her result and the “irreparable harm” the suspension may cause her.
Valieva’s December doping test result was not released until she had won the figure skating team event with the Russian Olympic Committee to become the first female skater to land the first quad jumps ever completed in Olympic competition. This CAS stressed “serious issues” in its decision.
CAS in its ruling said, “Such late notification was not her fault, in the middle of the Olympic Winter Games.”
According to the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA), they lifted the provisional suspension on Kamila Valieva effective immediately to allow her participate in the Winter Olympics games on receipt of her test positive sample.
This decision by RUSADA prompted an adhoc committee of CAS to be set up to hear the case after the International Testing Agency (ITA), the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the International Skating Union (ISU), had appealed the decision.
The undeterred Kamila Valieva, despite the appeal pending before the CAS, continued to prepare ahead of Tuesday’s women’s single figure skating competition in which according to statistics she is the favourite to win the contest to claim the gold medal.
According to Sky Sports, Matthieu Reeb, CAS Director General, said, “While these rules have specific provisions for evidence of a different standard of evidence and for lower sanctions in case of protected persons, the panel was therefore concerned that if a permanent suspension would be imposed on the athlete and later – at the end of the day, after the completion of all procedures – she would not be sanctioned or would have a very low sanction, the provisional suspensions would have caused serious damage.”
Reacting to the CAS decision, the United States Olympic Committee (USPOC) condemned the decision of CAS noting that the integrity of sport must be held to the highest standard by all. stakeholders.
According to USPOC chief executive, Sarah Hirshland, “It is the collective responsibility of the entire Olympic community to protect the integrity of sport and to hold our athletes, coaches and all involved to the highest of standards.
“Athletes have the right to know they are competing on a level playing field. Unfortunately, today that right is being denied. This appears to be another chapter in the systemic and pervasive disregard for clean sport by Russia,” she added.
Other persons who spoke against the decision of CAS noted that it is unfortunate that the decision went against the ethics guiding sports.
Tricia Smith, President, Canadian Olympic Committee said, “The situation that has unfolded with respect to the Russian figure skating athlete’s doping case is extremely unfortunate and sad for the athletes.
“The COC is fully committed to clean sport and we firmly believe that no one involved in doping or other corrupt practices has a place in the Olympic Movement.
“While we trust that the CAS decision was the result of a fair process, we are extremely disappointed with this result,” Smith added.
However, Tara Lipinski said, “I strongly disagree with this decision. At the end of the day, there was a positive test and there is no question in my mind that she should not be allowed to compete.
“Regardless of age or timing of the test/results. I believe this will leave a permanent scar on our sport,” he concluded.
Kamila Valieva became one of the youngest athletes to face a doping charge during the Olympics.
While football stakeholders have disagreed with CAS decision, we could recall that Chinese swimmer, Sun Yang and Nigerian sprinter, Blessing Okagbare are among those who have previously been sanctioned for using Trimetazidine.
