(Lausanne) The long doping saga surrounding the young Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva could well know its outcome in the coming months, since the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has set dates for hearings on Thursday.
The CAS will therefore hear this cause which caused a stir last year on the sidelines of the Beijing Olympics from September 26 to 29. Hearings will not be open to the public.
These court sessions could ultimately reveal who won gold in the team event in Beijing. Russia finished in first place, with Valieva in its ranks, ahead of the United States. However, no medals were awarded.
Valieva tested positive for trimetazidine, a heart drug banned in sport, in December 2021, but the result was revealed during the Games several weeks later.
The skater, who is now 17, was only 15 at the time. Her situation has therefore raised concerns about the treatment of young figure skaters in Russia.
The World Anti-Doping Agency and the International Skating Union appealed to CAS when a Russian court ruled that Valieva committed “no fault or negligence”.
WADA is calling for Valieva to be suspended for four years and disqualified from the Olympics. The Russian anti-doping agency also filed an appeal, but asked that the teenager be punished with a simple reprimand.
Such a verdict would have the effect of letting Valieva and her teammates retain their gold medal.
