(Sports News) Kamila Valieva has been slapped with a four-year ban for doping, leading to the stripping of her gold medal in the team event at the 2022 Beijing Winter Games, nearly two years after the competition.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) stated, “Kamila Valieva is found to have committed an anti-doping rule violation and sanctioned with a four-year period of ineligibility commencing on 25 December 2021.”
The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) promptly embraced the verdict, condemning Valieva’s doctors and coaches. WADA director general Olivier Niggli remarked, “The end result has been to the satisfaction of clean athletes.”
WADA President Witold Banka responded to the CAS decision, advocating for criminalizing doping of minors, stating, “Anyone who dopes children should be in prison.”
The US Olympic Committee hailed the news as a “significant win for athletes worldwide who advocate for clean sport.” They praised Team USA athletes for their commitment to clean competition.
Valieva, known for being the first female skater to land a quadruple jump at a Winter Olympics, had initially helped Russia win gold in the team figure skating event on February 7, 2022. However, it was revealed four days later that she had failed a drug test before the Games.
Amid separate doping sanctions, Russian athletes competed in Beijing as ROC athletes without their flag or national anthem, facing intensified scrutiny at the 2022 Games. The ROC expressed that “no holds are barred” in what they see as a declaration of war on Russian sport.
Also Read: I never aspired to be a leader: Ben Stokes
