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Russian skater’s doping case to be heard Sunday at Olympics

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Kamila Valieva from Team ROC skates at a figure skating practice session in Beijing on the eighth day of Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics Games at Capital Indoor Stadium. This was on Tuesday, February 12, 2022.

Matthew Stockman | Getty Images Sport | Getty Images

Russian figure skater Kamila Vasilieva will discover Monday whether she is able to compete in the Winter Olympics women’s competition. It starts one day later.

Court of Arbitration for Sport has announced that Valieva’s expedited hearing in doping cases will take place Sunday evening in Beijing. A ruling is expected Monday morning.

After Saturday’s emotional practice, the 15-year old skater broke down and wept.

Valieva’s position at the Olympics was made uncertain after she received a negative test for the banned medication trimetazidine (Russian heart medication) in December. Five days before her test results were known, she won the gold medal in team events and will compete Tuesday as an individual.

Valieva fell during practice on a triple axel — a jump she typically executes without a problem — while doing a run-through of her short program. After landing two combos: a triple flip triple toe loop, and a triple Lutz triple toe loop, Valieva walked to the board and gave Eteri Tutberidz an emotional hug.

The highest court of sports had earlier confirmed that it received appeals by the International Olympic Committee as well as the World Anti-Doping Agency, challenging Valieva’s eligibility to compete.

After testing positive, the Russian Anti-Doping Agency issued an automatic ban. RUSADA removed the provisional ban a day later. RUSADA granted the IOC an urgent appeal. The Court of Arbitration of Sport will then hear it.

Mark Adams, IOC spokesperson, said “It was sending out a signal that this is urgently being solved.”

Due to Valieva’s minor status, the legal process can be quite complex. This gives her special protections under the Anti-Doping Rule Book.

Valieva’s maximum penalty may be a simple reprimand, as she is just 15 years old. Because the World Anti-Doping Code requires that they be investigated, her entourage of doctors and coaches is subject to more scrutiny.

Valieva was positive for the test in her sample taken Dec. 25, during which she won the Russian national championships.

The Russian Anti-Doping Agency known as RUSADA was responsible for the sample. The sample was then sent to Stockholm, Sweden’s WADA-approved laboratory for analysis.

On Monday — hours after Valieva’s skating helped the Russians win the Olympic team event — the Stockholm lab notified RUSADA the test was positive.

Three judges from CAS will only consider the request for a rescinding of the Valieva interim ban.

The Russian team will decide later whether they keep the gold medal from the team event.

RUSADA is responsible for the investigation and it could take many months. This could be appealed at CAS.

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