MOSCOW, September 29. /TASS/. The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) continues to insist on a four-year disqualification period for Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva, the organization’s press service told TASS on Thursday.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) heard Valieva’s case between September 26 and 28. It has decided to put the process on hold and resume it on November 9 and 10, because additional documents were requested.
"Due to the confidential nature of the proceedings, WADA is not permitted to comment further on the adjournment announced by the Court of Arbitration for Sport earlier today," the organization said. "However, as it has done at all stages, it will continue to push for a resolution of these proceedings as quickly as possible."
"WADA took this appeal to CAS in the interests of fairness for athletes and clean sport. Our position in this case has not changed. We maintain that the finding by the disciplinary tribunal of RUSADA that the athlete bore ‘no fault or negligence’ was wrong under the terms of the World Anti-Doping Code. In accordance with the applicable rules, we continue to seek a four-year period of ineligibility and disqualification of the athlete’s results from the date of the sample collection, including her results during the 2022 Olympic Games in Beijing," WADA press service said.
On February 14, 2022, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) turned down an appeal filed by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the International Skating Union (ISU) against the decision of the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) to lift a temporary suspension of Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva.
The International Testing Agency announced on February 11, 2022, that Valieva’s doping sample, collected on December 25, 2021 during the Russian Figure Skating Championships in St. Petersburg, returned a positive result for a banned substance, trimetazidine. This triggered the postponement of the awards ceremony for the 2022 Olympic team competition, won by Russia.
RUSADA imposed a provisional suspension on Valieva on February 8, 2022, but the Russian athlete submitted an appeal and it was granted the following day. The previous decision on the provisional suspension was voided by the RUSADA Disciplinary Committee.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC), the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the International Skating Union (ISU) filed appeals against this decision but the Court of Arbitration for Sport rejected them on February 14, 2022. The Russian skater was permitted to compete in the individual Olympic competition and finished fourth.