Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva is free to compete at the Beijing Winter Olympics after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) rejected demands to impose a suspension on the teenager, in a case involving a positive doping sample taken in December.
The decision comes just one day before the women’s figure skating singles event in Beijing, where the 15-year-old Valieva is the gold medal favorite and is now able to compete.
In announcing the decision, CAS cited Valieva’s status as a “protected person” under the World-Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Code due to her age.
It also noted that Valieva had not tested positive in Beijing, and that imposing a suspension on her at the Games would cause “irreparable harm in these circumstances.”
Referring to the fact that Valieva’s result from the doping probe taken on December 25 was not reported until February 8 – after she had competed and won gold in the team event in Beijing – CAS said there were “serious issues” regarding the “untimely notification” of the result, which hindered Valieva’s ability to establish a legal defense.