Valieva’s Olympic journey took an unexpected turn in a matter of hours. A cloud of controversy loomed over her competition aspirations. Just a day after she led the Russian team to a gold medal, it was announced she had tested positive for trimetazidine, a banned heart medication just weeks before the Games.
Despite her positive test, the International Olympic Committee made a controversial decision and allowed Valieva to participate in the women’s single event. However, her previous team event medals would not be authorised until her case was thoroughly investigated.
The Russian anti-doping agency’s disciplinary commission conducted an inquiry and determined that Valieva had committed a violation for which she bore “no fault or negligence”. Consequently, Valieva did not receive sanctions, but her previous performance results were invalidated. This led to a legal battle with Rusada, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), and the International Skating Union (ISU), contesting this decision in a three-day hearing held at the sport’s highest court in Lausanne, Switzerland.
After acknowledging the frustrations of other athletes - such as Vincent Zhou, a US skater, who called out the anti-doping system for “failing athletes” - the IOC issued a statement expressing its desire for competition results to be finalised during the Games, allowing athletes to enjoy their “moment of glory”.
However, uncertainty continues to loom over the skating world, with anti-doping experts estimating an outcome likely to remain undetermined for several months when Valierva and representatives of Rusada participate in the Lausanne hearing via video link.
As the sporting world awaits a verdict, Valieva's case serves as a poignant reminder of the intricate and sometimes contentious intersection of athletic achievement and anti-doping measures on the Olympic stage.