Beijing 2022: ITA acknowledges decision of CAS to uphold RUSADA’s decision to lift provisional suspension of figure skater Kamila Valieva

The lifting of the provisional suspension was decided by the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) Disciplinary Anti-Doping Committee on 9 February 2022. This decision followed the provisional suspension of the athlete by RUSADA on 8 February after a laboratory report returned an Adverse Analytical Finding (AAF) for the non-specified prohibited substance trimetazidine on a sample collected on 25 December 2021 by RUSADA.

The International Testing Agency (ITA), leading an independent anti-doping program for the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022 on behalf of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), decided on 10 February to appeal the RUSADA decision to CAS to ensure that a timely decision was made as the athlete was scheduled to compete again on 15 February (Women Single Skating). WADA and the ISU also each lodged appeals to the same effect. The respondents of this appeal were the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC), the athlete and RUSADA, as its disciplinary anti-doping committee had lifted the provisional suspension.

The ad hoc division of the Court of Arbitration for Sport is established for the duration of an Olympic Games to provide, in the interests of the athletes and of sport, for the resolution by arbitration of any disputes that arise during the Olympic Games (Rule 61 of the Olympic Charter).

A hearing took place at 8:30 pm (Beijing time) on 13 February, all concerned parties were heard remotely via video conference. The CAS ad hoc panel of arbitrators for the hearing was composed of Mr. Fabio Iudica (Italy, President of the panel), Mr. Jeffrey Benz (USA) and Dr. Vesna Bergant Rakočeviċ (Slovenia). Following the hearing and deliberations, the panel communicated its decision to all concerned parties on 14 February.

The panel decided that the decision by the RUSADA Disciplinary Anti-Doping Committee shall be upheld, meaning that no provisional suspension is to be reimposed on the athlete. Therefore, she is allowed to participate further in the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022.

The proceedings on the merits of the apparent anti-doping rule violation, including the athlete’s right to request the analysis of the B-sample, will be pursued by RUSADA in due course.

Given that the legal process for this case is not finally concluded, the ITA will not provide any additional comments. Any further information on the case will be issued in form of a public statement.