Russian Olympic skater Valieva tested positive for banned drug–reports

Russia’s Kamila Valieva competes in the women’s single skating short program of the figure skating team event during the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games at the Capital Indoor Stadium in Beijing on February 6, 2022. (Photo by Manan VATSYAYANA / AFP)

The 15-year-old figure skating star Kamila Valieva, who led Russia to team gold at the Beijing Olympics this week, tested positive for a banned heart medication before the Games, Russian media have reported.

The positive test could cost Russia the team gold and also threatens Valieva’s participation in the individual event that starts on Tuesday.

The sample was obtained before Valieva won the European championship last month, the RBC newspaper reported late Wednesday.

The drug detected is trimetazidine, a metabolic agent that is prescribed for the treatment of angina and vertigo, according to Kommersant newspaper.

It is banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency because it can increase blood flow efficiency and help endurance.

The reports said the test was the reason that the medals ceremony for the team event was delayed.

International Olympic Committee spokesman Mark Adams on Wednesday cited a “legal consultation” with the sport’s governing body, the International Skating Union, for the delay.

“We have athletes that have won medals involved,” Adams said at the daily IOC media briefing, without giving further details.

Russian athletes are competing in the Beijing Games as the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) after the country was banned because of a massive state-sponsored doping scheme at the 2014 Sochi Olympics.

The Russians won the gold medal in the team competition with the United States taking silver and Japan bronze, but the ceremony was removed from its scheduled slot on Tuesday.