Rusada finds Kamila Valieva bore "no fault or negligence" for positive drug test

13 January 2023 , 22:10

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Kamila Valieva has been cleared by Russian anti-doping officials (Image: AFP via Getty Images)

Kamila Valieva was not at fault for the positive drug test which emerged at the 2022 Winter Olympics, according to the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (Rusada).

The 15-year-old figure skater emerged as one of the stars of the Beijing Games last year, as a result of her remarkable performances in the team event. The highlight was when she made history by becoming the first woman to land a quadruple jump at the Olympics – doing it twice in the same event.

However, just a few days later, it emerged that Valieva had failed a drug test performed on Christmas Day the year before. Amid the furore, she continued to compete in the women's singles but made several costly mistakes which ended her chances of securing a medal.

Rusada had already been accused by the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) of an "unacceptable delay" in rendering the results of its findings. And It was Wada that released the findings on Friday, as it threatened to appeal the decision.

The statement read: "The World Anti-Doping Agency has been informed by the Russian Anti-Doping Agency that its disciplinary tribunal has now rendered a decision in the case of Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) figure skater, Kamila Valieva.

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"The tribunal found that although the athlete had committed an Anti-Doping Rule Violation, she bore 'no fault or negligence' for it. As such, the tribunal imposed no sanction except for the disqualification of her results on the date of the sample collection.

Valieva poses alongside Vladimir Putin at an awards ceremony in Moscow for Russian medal winners at the Beijing Winter Olympics (SPUTNIK/AFP via Getty Images)

"Wada notes this outcome and has requested a copy of the full reasoned decision, which it will review together with the case file in order to determine whether the ruling is in line with the terms of the World Anti-Doping Code.

"However, based on the elements of the case with which Wada is already familiar, the Agency is concerned by the finding of 'no fault or negligence' and will not hesitate to exercise its right of appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, as appropriate."

Wada has been seeking a four-year ban for Valieva, which would see the teenager miss the 2026 Winter Games in Italy. Her team explained the failed test by claiming she had accidentally ingested some of her grandfather's medication.

Daniel Moxon