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Julien Pretot, Krystal Hu

BEIJING, (Reuters) – It was more than six weeks since Kamila Valieva, a teenage Russian figure skater, collected her sample and that Kamila heard from Beijing Olympics about the fact she had tested positive for a banned drug at her national championships.

The Russian Olympic Committee immediately questioned the timeline. They wondered about what may have occurred in those 15 years after Russian Anti-Doping Agency lifted her provisional suspension. This allowed her to continue training and compete.

A six week delay in delivery is rare, but there may be other factors.

Testing results at the Games can take anywhere from 24-72 hours to report a result depending on which type of test was used. But the Olympics process is faster because many athletes are competing in multiple events and the urgency for rapid results.

Jean-Pierre Verdy (ex-director of testing, French Anti-Doping Agency, AFLD) said that delays may occur outside of the Olympics. He helped to bust many top Tour de France riders.

“Between the sample delivery time, plus the analysis time and reanalysis time to confirm the existence of a particular substance and the fact you must send screenings to multiple labs for external confirmation – and some labs haven’t that type of experience – delays can be lengthy,” he explained to Reuters.

“The opinion of peers is important, so unless the substance being targeted is a commonly used one, labs will never get results without their peer’s approval.”

Stanislav Pzdnyakov of the ROC stated that the long time gap between the December 25 doping test results and the February 8 announcement was suspect and that he has “serious doubts about this process”.

The International Testing Agency (ITA) reported that Valieva’s score was only from a WADA-accredited Stockholm laboratory. It happened Tuesday after Valieva, along with other Russian skaters, won the Olympic team event.

RUSADA stated that the delay in reporting and analysis by RUSADA was due to another wave COVID-19 cases, an increase in illnesses among staff members and quarantine regulations.

“Unfortunately, we are not able to comment,” Anton Pohanka said. He is the Director of Stockholm’s Doping Control Laboratory at Karolinska University hospital, which is the only WADA accredited lab in Sweden.

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WADA advises that national anti-doping agencies notify the lab of the test results within 10 business days.

RUSADA may have made this call, but it is not clear. RUSADA did not respond to Reuters’s request for comment after hours.

Valieva will soon find out her fate at her next event on Tuesday, the women’s single.

RUSADA was suspended from competition by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), and World Anti-Doping Agency(WADA).

For the 15 year-old, there are reasons to believe.

Experts said that if Valieva or her team admit wrongdoing, then the punishment for protected minors like her might be decreased to a warning instead of a ban. This could enable her to continue competing in the Olympics.

Paul Greene (a U.S.-based lawyer for athletes and the founder of Global Sports Advocates) said that she could be given a warning instead of a sanction.

She could be given a smaller sanction since she’s minor. A warning would make her eligible to participate immediately if it was given. A warning would require you to acknowledge that the violation occurred, something they may not agree to.