LAUSANNE, January 29, 2024 – Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva, whose positive doping test overshadowed the 2022 Winter Olympics, has been found guilty of an anti-doping rule violation by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) and banned for four years, starting from December 25, 2021. Consequently, all her competitive results since then are disqualified, including the win in the figure skating team event with the Russian Olympic Committee at Beijing 2022.

TRIMETAZIDINE The then-15-year-old Valieva tested positive for the banned substance trimetazidine, a heart medication which can boost endurance, on December 25, 2021 at the 2022 Russian Figure Skating Championships in Saint Petersburg, Russia. However, the positive test was not confirmed by an internationally-accredited laboratory until February 8, a day after she helped ROC win gold, landing the first ever quadruple jump by a woman in Olympic competition. Valieva’s team had finished first ahead of the USA and Japan but the medals were not awarded because of Valieva's doping case.

PROVISIONAL SUSPENSION Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) promptly imposed a provisional suspension on Valieva but lifted the suspension the following day after the now 17-year-old lodged an appeal. Hence the skater continued to compete at the Beijing Games.

During that time the Court of Arbitration for Sport also cleared Valieva to compete at the Games, stating that “on the basis of the very limited facts of this case, and after consideration of the relevant legal issues, it has determined that no provisional suspension should be imposed on the athlete.” The CAS panel also explained that it had considered that preventing the athlete from competing would cause her “irreparable harm”.

A MIX-UP? In her defense, Valieva claimed the positive test was the result of a mix-up with her grandfather's heart medication and RUSADA’s independent Anti-Disciplinary Committee found her not guilty.

A RUSADA investigation found that there was “no fault or negligence” on the part of Valieva and she should only be disqualified from the Russian Championships.

WADA AND ISU APPEAL The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the International Skating Union (ISU)  had been seeking a suspension of up to four years and the annulment of all her results since the day she tested positive.

WADA and the ISU appealed against RUSADA’s ruling before CAS, and even a portion of the decision was appealed by RUSADA itself.

CAS HEARING In September 2023, three CAS judges met in Lausanne, Switzerland, to hear the long-running case with Valieva, and some of the experts and witnesses taking part via videoconference.

On January 29, 2024, CAS set aside the decision taken by  RUSADA’s independent Anti-Disciplinary Committee on January 24, 2023 in relation to Kamila Valieva and ruled that Valieva is found to have committed an Anti-Doping Rule Violation under Clause 4.1 of the All-Russian Anti-Doping Rules of 24 June 2021.

FINAL AND BINDING “Having carefully considered all the evidence put before it, the CAS Panel concluded that Ms Valieva was not able to establish, on the balance of probabilities and on the basis of the evidence before the Panel, that she had not committed the ADRV intentionally (within the meaning of the Russian ADR),” CAS said in a statement.

CAS said its Panel’s decision is “final and binding” but the parties involved have the right to file an appeal to the Swiss Federal Tribunal within 30 days on limited grounds.