Kamila Valieva: Russia found she bore ‘no fault’ in doping case

MONTREAL, QC — A Russian tribunal found determine skater Kamila Valieva bore “no fault or negligence” in a doping case that rocked final 12 months’s Winter Olympics, the World Anti-Doping Agency mentioned Friday.

The Russian skater gained Olympic gold in the workforce competitors in February earlier than it was introduced {that a} pattern she had given two months earlier than had examined optimistic for a banned substance. The outcome was reported later as a result of the laboratory which examined the pattern had been affected by the coronavirus pandemic.

WADA mentioned it was “concerned” {that a} Russian anti-doping company panel dominated that Valieva ought to solely be disqualified from at some point of the 2021 Russian nationwide championships, the place the pattern was taken.

“The tribunal found that although the athlete had committed an Anti-Doping Rule Violation, she bore ‘no fault or negligence’ for it. As such, the tribunal imposed no sanction except for the disqualification of her results on the date of the sample collection,” WADA mentioned in the assertion.

WADA mentioned it will overview the case file earlier than deciding on additional steps. WADA had beforehand complained Russia was taking too lengthy to succeed in a choice in Valieva’s case and sought to have it moved to the Switzerland-based Court of Arbitration for Sport.

“Based on the elements of the case with which WADA is already familiar, the Agency is concerned by the finding of ‘no fault or negligence’ and will not hesitate to exercise its right of appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, as appropriate,” WADA mentioned.

The Russian company has not printed the decision. It has beforehand mentioned it will not publish any findings associated to the case as a result of Valieva was solely 15 on the time she examined optimistic.

Depending on the eventual results of any enchantment, the case might outcome in the United States being upgraded from silver to gold in the workforce occasion.

CAS sometimes takes months to course of circumstances. A earlier CAS panel of judges allowed Valieva to compete in the ladies’s particular person occasion on the Beijing Games even below suspicion of doping, in half due to her age. She positioned fourth in the ladies’s competitors as one other Russian, Anna Shcherbakova, gained the gold.