The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) is seeking a four-year ban on Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva, who tested positive for a banned substance during the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) took up the case following a lack of progress by the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA).
In a statement released Monday, CAS announced that arbitration has begun following the WADA’s appeal over “the absence of a decision in the procedure RUSADA vs/ Kamila Valieva.”
“WADA seeks a ruling from CAS that the Athlete committed an ADRV pursuant to Article 4.1 and/or 4.2 of the RUSADA ADR, and that the Athlete be sanctioned with a four-year period of ineligibility starting on the date on which the CAS award enters into force, as well as the disqualification of all competitive results obtained by her from, and including the date of 25 December 2021, with all resulting consequences (including forfeiture of medals, points and prizes),” the statement read.
Kamila, who was 15 at the time, tested positive for three different substances meant to improve heart function in a sample taken prior to her arrival at the Beijing Olympics earlier this year. She claimed that the banned substance may have been the result of contamination with medication that her grandfather took regularly.
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If the WADA wins its appeal, Valieva would be stripped of her gold medal won in the team event and would be banned from the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy.
“The CAS Panel’s decision will be final and binding, with the exception of the parties’ right to file an appeal to the Swiss Federal Tribunal within 30 days on very limited procedural grounds,” Monday’s statement read.
The case was taken over by CAS after RUSADA failed to render a decision by the WADA’s deadline of Nov. 4.
