Last night, 15-year-old Russian figure skater, Kamila Valieva tested positive for a banned drug at the 2022 Beijing Olympics. On Monday, the ROC won gold at the figure skating team event. Valieva and her teammates were scheduled to be presented with their Olympic gold medals in a ceremony that has since been postponed for legal consultations.
Russian media reported the positive test Wednesday night, naming the drug as Trimetazidine, which is typically used to treat a heart condition called angina.
If the ROC is removed from the Olympic podium, team Canada is next in line for a medal, finishing in 4th place at the figure skating event.
I’m sorry, but Sha'Carri Richardson was banned from competing in the Olympics because of weed. If the IOC lets Kamila Valieva (and ROC) keep her Gold and compete after using a PED, we got problems. pic.twitter.com/mVSUunAq6V
— 🍍Andy Splatz🍍 (@AndySplatz) February 10, 2022
The positive test may disqualify Valieva from the individual competition that starts Tuesday.
Olympic officials warn that legal issues often drag on, and in the case that an athlete or team were disqualified, an appeal would likely follow to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, dragging on the process even more.
Russia has a long history of ‘doping’ athletes. In 2019, The World Anti-Doping Agency came to a unanimous decision, banning Russia from the Olympics and all Global sporting events for 4 years.
If you’ve wondered why Russian athletes are competing under the ROC (Russian Olympic Committee) name, it’s because Russia was found guilty in a long-term state-sponsored doping scheme within sports. Under the ban, the Russian flag, name and anthem are not permitted at the Olympics.
The recent drug scandal is not a good look for the ROC, that are making efforts to distance itself from historic doping controversies.
Time will only tell what comes of the 15-year-old figure skater’s positive test. How will the IOC (International Olympic Committee) respond? Some argue that this scandal is pushing anti-Russian rhetoric while others believe the doping could be bigger than one figure skater.