Russia responded to Valieva’s disqualification for doping

There is no political component in the disqualification of Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva for doping, says Dmitry Svishchev, chairman of the State Duma Committee on Physical Culture and Sports. This is how, in a conversation with Lenta.ru, he reacted to the athlete’s suspension from international competitions for four years.

“I am inclined to believe that, unfortunately, we were unable to prove the innocence of our athlete. Four years and a lost medal is very unpleasant news for all fans of Camila’s work. There is still time, there are opportunities to prepare an appeal. We need to concentrate now and find good, competent lawyers, and together with them, with trainers, prepare our own version [случившегося]. I think we should fight if there is a chance. Kamila is an athlete, she is a fighter. I hope she will continue to fight and continue to speak out,” the MP said.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has suspended Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva for four years for violating anti-doping rules. She will be deprived of gold in the team tournament of the Winter Olympics in Beijing in 2022.

The period of suspension starts on December 25, 2021. All her results and awards from the moment of passing the positive test will also become invalid. The proceedings took 717 days. According to the commission, the athlete could not prove that she violated the rules unintentionally.

During the Games in Beijing, it became known that the banned drug trimetazidine was found in Kamila Valieva’s sample taken in 2021 at the Russian Championship. The skater herself does not admit guilt. She claims that her grandfather used the drug after heart surgery. According to the athlete, the medicine entered her body because she drank from the same mug.