Russian skater Kamila Valieva's drug regimen 'raises questions' following hearing

 

Hear from US anti-doping chief on what the new revelation on Valieva could mean

Kamila Valieva -- the teenage Russian figure skater at the center of a doping controversy roiling the Beijing Olympics -- had three substances that can be used to aid the heart in her testing sample, according to a report in the New York Times, which cited an exhibit filed in a Sunday hearing by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

Two of those substances, Hypoxen and the supplement L-carnitine, are not banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), which regulates the use of drugs in international sport. Valieva declared both of these on a doping control form, according to a court application allegedly filed by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) in a case raised after it came to light that Valieva tested positive for a banned substance in December.

Kamila Valieva of Team ROC skates during the women's singles competition on Tuesday in Beijing.

 

The London-based Dossier Center, an investigative website run by an exiled Russian businessman, published part of the WADA court application online and it was reviewed for CNN by Travis Tygart, head of the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA). The Dossier Center did not publish the doping control form or the test report exhibited in the case, and CNN has not reviewed them.

CNN has reached out to the CAS and the parties involved in Valieva's arbitration hearing to confirm the validity of the court application published by the Dossier Center and has yet to hear back. CNN has also reached out to the WADA accredited lab in Sweden which tested Valieva's sample from December for comment. Tygart, who is not involved in the investigation into the Russian skater, described the application published by the Dossier Center as "accurate and legitimate."

The 15-year-old skater has been in the spotlight since it emerged days into the Olympics that she tested positive for the banned heart drug trimetazidine, which experts say can enhance endurance. Valieva has sought to blame the positive test on contamination from medication taken by her grandfather, an IOC official familiar with the CAS hearing said on Tuesday.

The presence of the additional substances raises further questions about the skater's drug use, according to Tygart. USADA tried to ban Hypoxen in 2017 due to its performance-enhancing capabilities, but that ban was not implemented, Tygart told CNN.

"It raises a whole host of questions that have yet to be determined and what appears to be the case of a pretty deliberate attempt to use substances in order to enhance performance," Tygart said.

"The picture it paints is, you've got a ​15-year-old. Does she have the wherewithal and the knowledge and the financial resources to find and use two drugs, one of which is prohibited TMZ (Trimetazidine) and another one Hypoxen, [along with] L-carnitine (a supplement) -- to increase endurance and reduce fatigue?," he said.

According to the application published by the Dossier Center, Valieva's mother testified in a provisional hearing that the athlete took one of the substances, Hypoxen, "to treat 'heart variations.'"

Supradyn, which can be used as an immunity boosting supplement, was also listed on Valieva's doping control form, according to the application.

Valieva's positive test for trimetazidine, though taken in December, was only analyzed and reported to Russia's anti-doping agency in February, resulting in Valieva's suspension on February 8 -- a day after she helped propel the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) to a gold-medal finish in the figure skating team event.

But the skater was reinstated after an appeal, and the CAS on Monday allowed her to compete in the Olympics, citing specific provisions related to her protected status as minor, while investigations into any doping violations by Valieva and the adults responsible for her training continue.

An emotional Valieva came out at the top after the short program of the women's singles competition on Tuesday. She will compete in the second portion of the event -- where she is the favorite for gold -- on Thursday.

Russian athletes competing at the Olympics are already under the shadow of a history of illegal doping: WADA barred Russia from international competitions in 2019 over doping violations. Under the ban set to expire later this year, they've only been able to participate as neutrals in the Games.

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Russian Kamila Valieva cleared to skate, but reprieve could be short-lived

A drugs test controversy that has overshadowed Beijing 2022 is set to rumble on after the Winter Olympics finishes.

For now, teenage figure skater Kamila Valieva has won a temporary reprieve -- the 15-year-old gets to compete in the women's single skating competition on Tuesday.

But, if she wins this week, there will be no gold medal ceremony or bouquet of flowers to hold and when she heads back to Russia, Valieva will enter a bureaucratic limbo as different sporting and doping organizations contest the implications of the skater's positive test for the banned heart drug trimetazidine, which is commonly used to treat people with angina.

On Monday, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruled that Valieva can compete for the remainder of this year's Winter Games, despite testing positive for a prohibited substance ahead of Beijing 2022.

The Valieva controversy has reignited doubts about the Olympic movement's handling of Russian athletes competing at successive Games, but also the oversight of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and its working relationship with the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA).

The head of the US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) Travis Tygart says Russia has "hijacked the competition" and "stolen the moment from clean athletes" for the "sixth consecutive Olympic Games" after CAS rejected appeals to reinstate a provisional ban on Valieva.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC), International Skating Union (ISU) and WADA had all called on CAS to reinstate a suspension Valieva was given by RUSADA over a doping violation concerning a test sample taken in December.

In a statement, CAS said it had decided Valieva should be allowed to compete due to "exceptional circumstances," including specific provisions linked to her status as a "protected person" under the WADA code, because she is a minor.

The CAS also noted Valieva did not test positive during the Winter Olympics. In making the decision the panel considered "fundamental principles of fairness, proportionality, irreparable harm," a statement said.

While Tygart acknowledged the that decision should be respected, he said that it was "a rushed one."

"Only time will tell if [Valieva] should be competing in these Games and whether or not all of her results will be disqualified," he said.

However, if it is found that Valieva should not have competed, Tygart said that the verdict will "reveal what a farce the handling of the Russia state-sponsored doping system by the IOC has been over the last eight years."

"If Russia had followed the rules, we would know for certain the outcome of the Figure Skating Team Event and those athletes who gave it their all could have their podium moment during these Games as they rightfully deserve with the world in celebration with them."

Russia's Kamila Valieva attends a training session on February 11.

 

Medal ceremonies in limbo

The controversy surrounding Valieva's positive test delayed the awarding of medals to all three teams -- gold for the Russian Olympic Committee team, silver for Team USA and bronze for Team Japan -- and the IOC say it now plans to organize "dignified medal ceremonies" once the case of the Russian teenage skater has been concluded.

"In the interest of fairness to all athletes and the NOCs concerned, it would not be appropriate to hold the medal ceremony for the figure skating team event during the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022 as it would include an athlete who ... has a positive A-sample, but whose violation of the anti-doping rules has not yet been established," said the IOC.

If Valieva finishes on the podium in the women's single skating competition this week, the IOC added "no flower ceremony and no medal ceremony will take place during the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022" for that event.

"The IOC requests the International Skating Union (ISU), for reasons of fairness, to allow a 25th competitor to participate in the free skating part of the competition on 17 February, in case Ms Valieva is ranked in the first 24 of the short programme on 15 February," added the IOC statement.

CEO of the United States Anti-Doping Agency Travis Tygart testifies during a hearing before the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee of House Energy and Commerce Committee February 28, 2017 on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC.

 

'Compassion'

In Tygart's statement obtained by CNN, the US anti-doping chief also called for compassion for Valieva, stating that she was "let down" by the Russians and the global anti-doping system.

"We all should have compassion for her and withhold judgement on her but instead demand that the global system reform to ensure these types of failures do not occur," he said.

News of the decision was met with criticism from the wider Olympic community, with retired figure skating champion Tara Lipinski calling it a "scar."

"I strongly disagree with this decision. At the end of the day, there was a positive test and there is no question in my mind that she should not be allowed to compete," Lipinski wrote in a series of tweets.

"Regardless of age or timing of the test/results. I believe this will leave a permanent scar on our sport.

"One more thought. I've said this before, she's just 15. Please keep that in mind. This is a lot for a young person to deal with. I hope that whichever adults faulted her are held ACCOUNTABLE. This is heartbreaking."

Who is Kamila Valieva, the Russian figure skater at center of doping allegations?

 

'Not flagged by RUSADA'

WADA said it was "disappointed" by the CAS decision, though its statement raised some troubling questions over the oversight of Valieva's case as the world anti-doping body appeared to shift the blame to RUSADA for how the controversy has played out.

"While WADA has not received the reasoned award, it appears that the CAS panel decided not to apply the terms of the Code, which does not allow for specific exceptions to be made in relation to mandatory provisional suspensions for 'protected persons', including minors," said WADA on Monday.

The teenage skater's drug sample was taken from Valieva at the 2022 Russian Figure Skating Championships in Saint Petersburg, Russia on December 25.

However, according to the world anti-dopiing body, it was only on February 7 that a WADA-accredited laboratory in Stockholm provided confirmation of an adverse analytical finding in Valieva's sample -- the day she helped the ROC team win gold in the figure skating team event at Beijing 2022.

"WADA always expects Anti-Doping Organizations to liaise with the laboratories in order to ensure they expedite the analysis of samples so that the results are received prior to athletes traveling to or competing in a major event, such as the Olympic or Paralympic Games," added the WADA statement.

"According to information received by WADA, the sample in this case was not flagged by RUSADA as being a priority sample when it was received by the anti-doping laboratory in Stockholm, Sweden. This meant the laboratory did not know to fast-track the analysis of this sample."

Valieva had made history at the Winter Olympics in Beijing by becoming the first woman to land a quad at the Games.

 

'A celebration of common sense'

The Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) said it would "consistently defend the rights and interests of Russian athletes" but added that it was "extremely important to conduct a full-fledged objective investigation to establish all the circumstances of the situation."

"The ROC is interested in an objective, fair decision on this case following the results of the legal procedure," it said in a statement on Monday.

Meanwhile, Alexander Gorshkov, president of the Figure Skating Federation of Russia, called the decision "a celebration of common sense and justice," according to state media RIA Novosti.

Russian figure skater Nikita Katsalapov also backed his compatriot while competing for Team ROC in Beijing, saying "let's go Kamila!" when asked about the CAS decision.

Valieva is not the only person implicated in allegations of doping. As she's a minor, WADA told CNN the agency will investigate her entourage, as it's required to do.

"RUSADA already indicated it had started that. We will ask our independent Intelligence and Investigations Dept to look into it as well," WADA said in a statement.

Valieva's next appearance at Beijing 2022 is now expected on Tuesday, when she'll be favourite in the short program of the women's singles competition.

If Valieva finishes on the podium, the IOC said that no medal ceremony will take place until her case is fully concluded.

 

Kamila Valieva: Russian anti-doping agency allowed teenage figure skater to compete in Olympics despite failed drug test

 

Russian teenage figure skater Kamila Valieva failed a drug test taken in December before the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, the International Testing Agency (ITA) confirmed Friday.

Fifteen-year-old Valieva, a breakout star of the Games who helped the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) take home gold in Monday's figure skating team event, was allowed to compete despite testing positive for the banned heart drug trimetazidine, which is commonly used to treat people with angina, the ITA said in a statement.

The failed test only came to light during the Winter Olympics, and it remains unclear if the drug test controversy will see the medal revoked.

The scandal continues to delay the awarding of medals to all three teams, silver for Team USA and bronze for Team Japan.

"The decision on the results of the ROC team in the Team Figure Skating event can be taken ... only after a final decision on the full merits of the case has been taken," the ITA said.

The case will be heard by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), with a decision needed before the figure skating star's next event -- the women's singles short program -- on Tuesday, in which she is favorite to take gold.

In that hearing, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) will challenge a decision by the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) to lift a provisional suspension on the skater, according to the ITA.

Responding to the controversy, the ROC said Valieva had "repeatedly passed doping tests" while already in Beijing, adding that it is taking measures to keep Valieva's "honestly won" gold.

"The doping test of an athlete who tested positive does not apply to the period of the Olympic Games. At the same time, the athlete repeatedly passed doping tests before and after December 25, 2021, including while already in Beijing during the figure skating tournament. All the results are negative," the ROC statement said.

"The Russian Olympic Committee is taking comprehensive measures to protect the rights and interests of the members of the ROC Team, and to keep the honestly won Olympic gold medal."

 

Why was Valieva allowed to compete?

The ITA, which leads the anti-doping program for the Beijing Winter Olympics, said Valieva's drug sample was taken at the Russian Figure Skating Championships in Saint Petersburg on December 25.

However, it took until February 8 for a laboratory in Sweden to report it had detected a banned substance -- one day after the ROC won gold at the team event in Beijing.

According to the ITA, Valieva tested positive for trimetazidine -- a drug used to treat the heart condition angina, which causes chest pain due to poor blood flow to the heart. It is on the World Anti-Doping Agency's (WADA) banned list.

Hormone and metabolic modulators are a class of drugs banned by WADA due to evidence of athletes using them for performance enhancement, as they can increase blood flow and improve endurance.

Valieva was immediately given a provisional suspension by Russia's anti-doping agency, which automatically prohibits athletes from participation in all sports.

The figure skater challenged the suspension on February 9 and, at a hearing that same day, the Russian anti-doping agency decided to lift the provisional ban -- allowing her to continue competing at the Olympics, according to the ITA.

At 15, Valieva is a minor and therefore considered a "Protected Person" under the World Anti-Doping Code, which means her name does not need to be disclosed to the public.

The ITA said it released her identity following media reports naming her based on "unofficial information," and the ITA said it "acknowledges the necessity for official information due to heightened public interest."

 

IOC 'looking at the entourage'

Russian athletes are unable to compete in the Olympics under their country's name due to sanctions from the IOC and WADA as a result of the country's "systemic manipulation" of anti-doping rules during the 2014 Sochi Games.

Speaking to journalists Friday, IOC spokesperson Mark Adams said the governing body wanted to "expedite" the case.

"We hope that the whole issue can be expedited in the interest of every athlete, not just the Russians, but also in the interest of all of the athletes competing," he said.

As Valieva's case continues to be examined, Adams referenced the work of the IOC's "Entourage Commission."

According to the Olympic website that commission "advises the IOC Session, the IOC Executive Board and the IOC President on supporting and protecting clean athletes."

"We realized some time ago this is very, very important that all of the people, the coaches, doctors and everyone around the athlete -- it's important that they have their responsibility too," said Adams on Friday.

"And by the way, we don't just look at athletes involved in these cases, we do look at the entourage. It is very important, but I really don't want to speak much further on this topic because it strays into discussing the case and I can't do that I'm afraid."

The International Skating Union said it will also exercise its right to appeal RUSADA's decision to lift the ban on competing "and to ask CAS to reinstate the provisional suspension."

On Friday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said there was a "misunderstanding" over Valieva's positive test as he offered full-throated support to the figure skater.

"We have great respect for both WADA and the IOC," Peskov told reporters on a conference call.

"They are dealing with this situation at the moment. Let's not rush, let's wait for the completion of the proceedings and the decision of the IOC. For now, we all support our Kamila Valieva and wish her success."

Asked if the Kremlin had any questions for Russian sports officials over the situation, Peskov said: "The Kremlin has no questions at the moment. The Kremlin has an appeal to everyone: let's wait. Our sports officials are doing their job.

"We are convinced that there was some kind of misunderstanding. Our sports officials have questions about the timing of testing Valieva's samples ... but we do not comment and do not want to comment on the situation, we are waiting for the completion of the proceedings."

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