IOC sees WADA’s appeal to CAS in Valieva case as step towards end of process

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has called on the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) to appeal in the case of the Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) a positive step in the case.

On Tuesday, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) announced that it considers the findings of the Anti-Doping Disciplinary Commission of the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (DAK RUSADA) to be incorrect in the case of Valieva and that it will use the right of appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). The AMA demands that the 16-year-old figure skater be disqualified for 4 years and void all results from the date of sampling – December 25, 2021.

“The IOC welcomes WADA’s decision to seize the CAS, which brings us one step closer to the end of the process so long awaited by the athletes. Since this case concerns a non-Olympic sample that affected the results of the team and individual figure skating tournaments at the Beijing Olympics, the IOC hopes that the case will be resolved as soon as possible. It is also in the interest of everyone involved, especially the athletes who are still unable to receive medals from the 2022 Games in Beijing, the IOC’s press service told .

Valieva at the Beijing Olympics helped the Russian team win gold in team competitions. Before the personal tournament, it became known that the illegal drug trimetazidine was discovered during the doping test of the Russian championship figure skater. The CAS allowed the Russian woman to participate in the individual competitions of the Games, where she took fourth place.