Kamila Valieva, the 17-year-old Russian figure skater, has been removed from the Russian National Team following her doping scandal at the 2022 Winter Olympics. The Figure Skating Federation of Russia confirmed that Valieva is not on the current national team roster, citing compliance with legislative documents as the reason for her exclusion.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruled on Jan. 29 to disqualify Valieva for four years due to a violation of anti-doping rules that began on Dec. 25, 2021. This ruling nullified all of her results from that date onwards, including her participation in the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.
Valieva, who was a world record holder in women's figure skating, tested positive for the banned substance Trimetazidine before the individual event at the Olympics. Despite the positive test, she was allowed to compete and initially placed first after the short program but faltered in the free skating, finishing fourth overall.
As a result of the disqualification, Team USA was elevated to first place in the team event at the 2022 Olympics, with nine American skaters set to receive gold medals. Valieva's removal from the national team will not impact the upcoming 2024 World Figure Skating Championships in Montreal.
It is worth noting that Russia and Belarus have been banned from international skating competitions since March 2022 due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Valieva's case has sparked controversy and raised questions about doping in sports, highlighting the importance of maintaining fair play and integrity in competitive events.
