Dhe World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) is taking action against a decision from Russia in the doping case involving Russian figure skater Kamila Valiyeva and is continuing to demand a four-year ban. Last month, 16-year-old Valiyeva was acquitted of a culpable doping offense by the Russian anti-doping agency Rusada. Wada sees this as “wrong” and has now appealed to the International Court of Arbitration for Sport, Cas, as announced on Tuesday.
In addition to a four-year ban, Wada is also demanding that Valiyeva withdraw all results since December 25, 2021. On that day, she tested positive for the banned substance trimetazidine at the Russian championships. The Rusada recognized the result of the title fights as the only sanction.
The case became known at the Winter Olympics in Beijing in February 2022 after the then 15-year-old Valiyeva won Olympic gold with the Russian team. A temporary ban had been lifted, so she was also allowed to compete in the women’s singles and finished fourth as the top favourite.
The World Anti-Doping Agency brought the case before the Cas last November, accusing Rusada of an unreasonable delay in processing. In the arbitration proceedings subsequently initiated by the Cas, Wada had already demanded a four-year ban for Valiyeva.