Speculation has been mounting after the cancellation of the medal ceremony for the figure skating team event won by the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) in a performance spearheaded by the 15-year-old.
The chair of the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee’s board of directors said the case has left the credibility of the Olympic movement “teetering on the edge.”
Russian newspapers RBC and Kommersant were the first to report that before the Beijing event, Valieva tested positive for banned heart medication Trimetazidine, a metabolic agent that helps prevent angina attacks and treats vertigo.
The alleged positive drug test was also reported by the Associated Press, Reuters and NBC Sports, although the International Olympic Committee (IOC) hasn’t confirmed it.
The substance was reportedly obtained before Valieva won the European championship last month in Estonia.
The drug is banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) because it can help endurance and increase blood-flow efficiency.
The press attaché of the Russian Figure Skating Federation, Olga Yermolina, said that the skating star “has not been suspended from participating in the Games and that “we are waiting for official statements from the International Olympic Committee (IOC).”
“As for the awarding of medals in the team tournament, the date should also be decided by the IOC,” she added in comments reported by state-run agency Tass, which didn’t mention the type of drug at the center of the claims.
Reuters reported that during her practice session on Thursday, the teenager performed quadruple jumps after becoming the first woman to complete the move at an Olympics during her team’s winning performance on Monday.
Complicating matters is the fact that athletes under the age of 18 who commit doping offenses should not be publicly named, according to WADA’s world anti-doping code. It states that any disclosure “shall be proportionate to the facts and circumstances of the case.”
U.S. Could Be Elevated to Gold
A positive test could mean Russia would lose its gold medal from the team competition, elevating the U.S. to the top prize. It could also threaten Valieva’s chance of winning the individual competition starting Tuesday.
The IOC has remained tight-lipped about the case, with spokesman Mark Adams telling reporters: “We had a situation arise yesterday at short notice that has legal implications. I’m not going to comment because it wouldn’t be appropriate.”
Susanne Lyons, chair of the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee’s board of directors, said that the “integrity of sport” was at stake with the case.
“Really the whole credibility of the Olympic Movement and the Paralympic Movement stands teetering on the edge of us saying that we really believe and live the values that we say we stand for,” Lyons told Around the Rings.
Newsweek has contacted the IOC for comment.
