Topline
Kamila Valieva, a 15-year-old Russian figure skater who sparked a possible doping scandal at the 2022 Olympics, tested positive for three drugs used to treat heart conditions—one of which is banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency—in a sample taken before the Olympic Games, the New York Times reported Tuesday.
Key Facts
A Stockholm lab found evidence of two additional heart medications, hypoxen and L-Carnatine, in a sample Valieva provided in December, according to documents viewed by the Times and confirmed by an unnamed person who attended her Sunday hearing at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
The International Testing Agency confirmed earlier this week Valieva also tested positive for trimetazidine, a substance used to treat heart conditions that is banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) because it can improve endurance, in a sample collected on December 25 during the Russian Figure Skating Championships.
Hypoxen and L-Carnatine are not on the WADA list of banned substances, but are unusual for a 15-year-old athlete to take, Travis Tygart, CEO of the United States Anti-Doping Agency, told the Times.
Tygart called the three medications a “trifecta of substances,” and told the Times the combination could increase endurance, reduce fatigue and promote oxygen flow.
The International Olympic Committee and the Court of Arbitration for Sport did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Forbes and a WADA spokesperson declined to comment.
Key Background
Valieva’s lab sample from December was not tested until February 8, one day after she helped lead the Russian Olympic Committee to the top of the podium in the team figure skating event. She was briefly banned from Olympic competition by the Russian Anti-Doping Agency, before it overturned the ban on appeal. The Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled Monday Valieva will be allowed to compete in the single skating event because of “exceptional circumstances,” including the 15-year-old’s status as a “Protected Person” under the WADA code, and because she had not tested positive for drugs during the Olympics. The CAS ruling also listed “irreparable harm” to the athlete if she was barred from competition, and noted “serious issues” with how long it took to notify officials of her positive test.
Contra
Valieva claimed her positive test for trimetazidine was due to contamination with her grandfather’s heart medication, according to IOC officials. The Times reports Valieva’s mother testified in a February 9 hearing before Russian anti-doping officials her daughter was taking hypoxen due to heart “variations.”
What To Watch For
Valieva took first place after the women’s short program of the women’s individual competition on Tuesday. She’s the gold medal favorite for the event, which wraps up Thursday following the free skate portion.
Further Reading
Russia's Kamila Valieva Grabs Top Spot In Figure Skating Short Program Despite Early Stumble (Forbes)
Russian Doping Scandal Fallout: FBI Could Investigate And Coaches Prosecuted Over Valieva Case (Forbes)
