“The skaters, including Valieva, hold empty medal boxes in their hands.” USADA calls timing of investigation unfair

The Director General of the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), Travis Tygart, has called the Russian figure skater’s lengthy doping trial unfair. Kamila Valieva .

Valieva at the 2022 Olympic Games in Beijing helped the Russian team win gold in the team competition. Before the personal tournament, it became known that the banned drug trimetazidine was found during the doping test of the figure skater of the Russian championship. The CAS admitted the Russian to the individual competitions of the Games, where she took fourth place. However, the awarding of the winners of the team tournament has not yet taken place. The American team took second place in these competitions.

“Given the significant delay, justice appears to have failed as the athletes, including Valieva herself, the Russian team and other teams competing for medals, were never rewarded.”

It is simply impossible to try to make up for what was lost by athletes who now have empty medal boxes in their hands,” Tygart was quoted as saying by Reuters.

In January, the Anti-Doping Disciplinary Committee (DAC) of the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) ruled that although the athlete committed an anti-doping rule violation, she bore “no fault or negligence”. Valieva avoided sanctions, except for the cancellation of her results on the date of sample collection – December 25, 2021. Subsequently, RUSADA, the ISU and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) made appeal to the CAS. WADA demands that the 17-year-old athlete be disqualified for four years.

The CAS closed hearings will take place on September 26, 27, 28 and 29 (as applicable).

Reuters