Beijing, Feb 15, Andrey Simonenko.The removal of Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva from participation in the individual tournament at the 2022 Olympics in Beijing could cause irreparable damage to her, said Denis Oswald, a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). The International Doping Testing Agency (ITA) previously reported that the doping test of the Olympic Beijing team champion Valieva on December 25, 2021 tested positive for trimetazidine. The test result was handed over by the anti-doping laboratory in Stockholm on February 8. The Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) imposed a temporary suspension on Valiyeva, after the athlete's appeal on February 9, it was lifted. The International Olympic Committee (IOC), the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the International Skating Union (ISU) filed a protest with the Court of Arbitration for Sport, which heard the case on Sunday evening. On Monday, CAS announced that the appeals of the IOC, ISU and WADA were rejected and made a decision allow Valiev to the individual competitions of the Olympics. In a published press release, CAS explained that in making its decision, it took into account the athlete’s late notification of a positive doping test, Valieva’s status as a “protected person” because she is under 16 years old, and also took into account the “fundamental principles of fairness, proportionality, irreparable damage and the relative balance of interests between the applicants and the athlete» who did not test positive during the Beijing Olympics.» The decision was made by CAS, it is an independent body. The IOC is a signatory, its decision is binding on all signatories. motives of the court. Previously, the main thing was that if the athlete was suspended, then irreparable damage could be caused, while if she wins gold, the medals can always be deprived. Presumably, this was the reason, we must respect this decision, » Oswald told reporters. «No law provides for a life suspension. And at the same time, the case continues, will end no clear decision has been made. Disqualification, obviously not for life, will be imposed only when a decision is made whether it is doping or not. Sanctions on the environment can only be imposed after WADA conducts an investigation. When an athlete is 15 years old, naturally, the actions of the environment will be investigated,» he added.
