Kamila Valieva: Anti-doping probe into entourage of Russian teen skater would be welcome, Olympics officials say
Figure skater Kamila Valieva broke down in tears after an emotional practice session on Saturday, held while her case is being decided. A test taken by the Russian teenager in December was flagged earlier in February for traces of the banned heart drug trimetazidine.
Saturday 12 February 2022 09:56, UK
Olympic officials have said they would welcome an anti-doping investigation into the Russian doctors, coaches and family in the entourage of 15-year-old figure skater Kamila Valieva.
Valieva broke down in tears on Saturday after an emotional practice session which was held as her case is being decided.
The teenager's future at the Olympics is uncertain after she tested positive for a banned substance.
Russian victory in jeopardy
Valieva won a gold medal in a team event earlier in February and is next scheduled to compete in the women's competition on Tuesday.
On Monday, a test taken in December was flagged for traces of the banned heart drug trimetazidine - putting the medal won by her entire team in possible jeopardy.
If Russia is disqualified, the US team would be elevated to the gold medal for the first time in the event, Japan would get silver and Canada would receive the bronze.
Kremlin vows support for skater
The Court of Arbitration for Sport has confirmed it has received appeals from both the International Olympic Committee and the World Anti-Doping Agency challenging Valieva's right to compete.
As a 15-year-old, the skater has protections through the World Anti-Doping Code - under the guidelines, she could receive just a simple reprimand.
When a minor is implicated in doping rules violations, the rules say her entourage, such as coaches and team doctors, must be investigated, too, which isn't typically the case for athletes 18 and over.
The Kremlin has vowed to support Valieva, with spokesperson Dmitry Peskov saying Russia was convinced the case was a misunderstanding.
"Hold your head up, you're a Russian, go proudly and beat everyone!" he said of Valieva.
Russia's doping disputes
Russia is competing in the Beijing Olympics as the Russian Olympic Committee without using its anthem or flag, because of the fallout from years of doping disputes.
The disputes centre around steroid use and cover-ups at the 2014 Winter Olympics, which Russia hosted.
Another scandal could extend their two-year ban beyond its scheduled end in December.