What You Need to Know About Kamila Valieva’s Reported Positive Drug Test and Cardiovascular Medicine Doping History
After a day of spreading false rumors and anonymous leaks, Russia’s RBC newspaper reported that the star of the Russian figure skating team, 15-year-old Kamila Valieva, has tested positive for banned substances.
The AP, citing sources from Russian newspapers, reported That Valieva — the gold medalist who just a few days earlier became the first woman to jump four times at the Olympics — appeared to have tested positive before the Beijing Olympics and even ahead of the European Championships in January. International athletes are randomly screened at any time, both inside and outside the competition. Valieva is said to have tested positive for drugs trimetazidine, is a heart medication commonly prescribed to patients with angina to maintain blood flow and prevent blockages that can cause cardiac arrest. It can also reduce inflammation and relax blood vessels, and help people who have had stents or heart surgery to maintain a steady flow of blood from the heart to the rest of the body.
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History of Trimetazidine in doping
However, the drug has had a darker history in recent years, as a doping agent by athletes looking for an endurance advantage, whether for training or competition.
Since 2014, the World Anti-Doping Agency has listed trimetazidine as a metabolic modulator for that very reason, as it can give athletes an unfair chemical advantage. Chinese swimmer Sun Yang was banned for three months in 2014 after testing positive for drugs, while Russian cyclist Nadezhda Sergeeva was disqualified from the 2018 Olympics and banned from competition for 8 months for the same drug.
It’s not clear whether Valieva has a heart condition or there is another reason for legal use of the drug. If that’s the case, she’ll also have to get a special release or medical benefit to use the drug.
What happened next after Valieva was reported positive for drugs
The medal ceremony for the team figure skating event, scheduled for February 8 in Beijing, has been postponed indefinitely. Neither the International Olympic Committee (IOC) nor the International Skating Union (ISU) have issued statements about the apparent violation. In explaining the delay in his regular press conference on 9 February, IOC spokesman Mark Adams would only say that “a situation arose today on short notice requiring legal consultations. dealing with ISU… It’s an emerging issue and I can’t say much more.”
The Russian team competed in the second Olympics as Russian Olympic Committee (ROC), as the country is still enforcing a two-year ban on a state-sponsored doping program. From December 2020 to December 2022, no athlete may represent or compete under the Russian flag at the Olympics, Paralympics or World Championships.
Athletes can appeal doping violations and the Court of Arbitration for Sport has an office in Beijing to hear time-sensitive cases. If the Russian reports are correct, it could lead to the ROC team being disqualified, stripping them of their gold medals. That means the US wins the gold, the current bronze medalists Japan will be elevated to silver, and Canada comes fourth in bronze.
Depending on the course, it could also prevent Valieva from competing in the women’s event, which she is widely expected to win, which begins next week. Valieva, the Russian national champion, showed her amazing talent in the team event, skating both her short and free shows and making history as a female athlete First figure skater to jump four times at the Olympics. That award could also be accompanied by an asterisk if reports are confirmed that she used a banned substance without a medical exemption.
