End of suspense. Russian skater Kamila Valieva, 15, was authorized on Monday February 14 to continue her Beijing Olympics, with the individual event on Tuesday during the short program, and Thursday for the free program, of which she is the big favorite.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), without ruling on the merits of the case, confirmed the lifting of the provisional suspension of the teenager, decided last Wednesday by the Russian anti-doping agency.
“Preventing the athlete from competing in the Olympics would cause him irreparable harm,” observed the three referees, even though his young age implies specific rules of evidence and lighter sanctions.
The young prodigy can therefore continue to defend her chances of individual Olympic gold, from her first season among seniors, even if nothing prevents her from being sanctioned within several months and seeing her results canceled there. included for the Olympics.
THE IOC’s disappointment
The teenager is accused of having taken trimetazidine, a substance used to treat angina pectoris and banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) since 2014, because it promotes blood circulation.
For its part, the American Olympic Committee (USOPC) said it was “disappointed” by the decision rendered Monday by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). “We are disappointed with the message sent by this decision. Athletes have the right to know that they are fighting with equal odds. Unfortunately today this right has been denied. This appears to be a new chapter in Russia’s systemic and widespread disregard for clean sport,” USOPC President Sarah Hirshland wrote in a statement.