Iain Axon

BEIJING (Reuters) – The United States could prosecute the Russians involved in figure skater Kamila Valieva’s doping case under the American Rodchenkov Act (RADA), the head of the U.S. Anti Doping Agency (USADA), Travis Tygart, told Reuters on Friday.

The RADA bill was signed into U.S. law in 2020 and empowers American prosecutors to seek fines of up to $1 million and jail terms of up to 10 years, even for non-Americans, if actions have affected American athletes’ results.

Russian Valieva was awarded the gold medal in Monday’s team event. But the International Testing Agency, (ITA), stated Friday that Valieva had failed a drug screen earlier. Japan was awarded bronze while the United States received silver.

Olympic officials now challenge Russia’s decision not to permit her to participate at the Beijing Winter Games.

Tygart explained that “the act has been used for one Olympic Games,” Tygart referred to the Tokyo Games last year. It will be used to safeguard other Olympic Games if people dope.

It is impossible to make this up. The twilight zone is where we are. This young lady, who is a clean athlete deserves better. This Russian government system is abusing her, as well as ripping her up (for doing drugs).

U.S. authorities can use the RADA to pursue individuals who are involved in anti-doping activities at international sporting events, including those involving American sponsors and broadcasters.

Named after Grigory Rodchenkov (ex-Russian anti-doping lab head), it was created to help expose Russia’s state sponsored doping.

Russia acknowledged its shortcomings in anti-doping regulations implementation, but denied running any state-sponsored doping program.

GAMES HIGHLIGHT

Valieva’s quadruple jumps on Monday, which was the first by an Olympic woman, were one of the highlights at the Beijing Games.

The ITA made it clear that her Olympic dream was a disaster when she revealed to the public that she had been tested positive by Trimetazidine (a banned drug for angina) in a urine sample from Russian officials at St Petersburg’s national championships.

On Tuesday, the Swedish testing laboratory reported that the sample had been positive. This was just one day after her world-famous performance and the win of the gold medal for her team.

Although it was unclear why her results took so long, she was able to fly to Beijing to take part in her first event.

Tygart stated, “Anyone who was dealing with this simply should have made it faster.” It is easy to do. This should never have been allowed to happen.

It is an utter failure of the system for the Games star to not have her sample reported back within five weeks. Then it’s reported one day after the winner of their team event.

“You shouldn’t be in a government or sport and (be) able to dope athletes and there be no consequence. That is precisely what happened with state-sponsored drug use, which was why the Rodchenkov Act was created. This law is necessary to end this kind of behavior.

Many of us felt disappointed by the first state-sponsored doping in Russia in 2015. However, those involved in orchestrating and conspiring to abuse young athletes were not held responsible either by their sports or their governments.

Russian athletes will not be competing in the Games wearing their flag. Also, their national anthem won’t be played during any ceremony due to sanctions for widespread doping after the Sochi Winter Olympics 2014.

Although the sanctions will be lifted by the end of this year, the World Anti-Doping Agency’s head cautioned that Russia shouldn’t assume it would automatically happen.