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Olympics-Valieva’s entourage under investigation by World Anti-Doping Agency -Breaking

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© Reuters. 2022 Beijing Olympics – Figure Skating – Training Rink Capital Indoor Stadium, Beijing, China – February 12, 2022. Kamila Valieva from the Russian Olympic Committee in training with Eteri Ttberidze, Russian Olympic Committee coach REUTERS/Aleksandra

By Steve Keating, Karolos Grohmann and Gabrielle Tétrault-Farber

BEIJING (Reuters). -The top international anti-doping authority is going to investigate Kamila Valieva, a Russian figure skating skater aged 15, who had tested positive for a banned compound. She was then embroiled into a scandal at Beijing’s Winter Olympics.

Valieva’s Olympic fate will be determined after a Court of Arbitration for Sport hearing at 8:30 p.m. Beijing (1230 GMT) on Monday. She effortlessly ran through her brief programme of practice in a flawless fashion Sunday.

Her three coaches Eteri Tutberidze and Sergei Dudakov, along with a team doctor Filipp Shvetsky, and a physical therapist, were watching her.

According to the World Anti-Doping Agency, (WADA), it stated in a Sunday statement that it would request its Intelligence and Investigations Department investigate coaches and doctors surrounding the athlete.

An earlier statement by the International Olympic Committee, (IOC), stated it had asked WADA to open an investigation.

WADA stated that Russian Anti-Doping Agency, (RUSADA), had indicated they were already investigating the entourage since Valieva was a minor.

Valieva was found to have been positive for an illegal heart drug during her December national championships. However, it took Valieva more than six weeks to get notified and she was able to compete in Beijing.

With the global protest over Moscow’s past doping, the future of her Games participation and the gold medal she won for Russia in the team event are in doubt.

Tutberidze (the most sought-after Russian figure skate coach) hasn’t responded to Reuters emails.

She stated Saturday that Valieva was her “cleanest and most innocent” during an interview for Russian state television.

Valieva, 15, is the youngest athlete to receive a positive result at the Olympics. This has prompted outrage as well as questions about her role in the adult world and Russian doping.

In 2010, the IOC established the entourage committee to deal with positive drug allegations against athletes in the 2000s. This included the testing of samples from past Olympics.

Russia’s state-backed Doping scandal that erupted after the 2014 Sochi Olympics showed more clearly how athletes were not acting alone, but were supported and aided by family members, friends, coaches and agents.

Individuals can be sanctioned by the commission for violations such as doping, harassment and unsportsmanlike behavior. You can get reprimands or permanent exclusion from Olympic Games.

However, Valieva’s fate at the Games will be up for debate on Sunday. Three judges from CAS will present arguments to the IOC and WADA before a panel hearing the argument of Valieva. They are trying to bring back the ban lifted on February 9th by the Russian Anti-Doping Authority.

Valieva’s participation in Tuesday’s women’s event is at stake. CAS stated that they would notify all parties Monday.

This will likely take longer for us to find out the fate of gold, which has yet to be awarded to the February 7th women’s teams event. Japan and the United States remain in wait for their medals.

“The athletes are a bit disappointed that they have to wait for the medal ceremony to happen – they had really worked so hard for that medal,” said Japan’s chef de mission, Hidehito Ito.

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