Kamila Valieva: Wada refer case to Court of Arbitration for Sport after no progress with Rusada

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Kamila ValievaImage source, Getty Images
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Kamila Valieva has a gold European Championships medal

Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva's doping investigation has been referred to the Court of Arbitration for Sport by the World Anti-Doping Agency.

Valieva, then 15, was allowed to compete at February's Winter Olympics despite a failed drugs test.

Last month Wada warned Rusada, Russia's anti-doping agency, they would take court action "if the matter was not resolved promptly".

Rusada had said it would not make the results of its investigation public.

"Despite putting Rusada under formal notice to resolve the Kamila Valieva case promptly, no progress was made," Wada president Witold Banka tweeted.

"Therefore, I can confirm Wada has now officially referred it directly to the Court of Arbitration for Sport."

Valieva tested positive for banned substance trimetazidine in December 2021 but the news became public a day after she helped her team win a gold medal in Beijing.

At the time Valieva said the result came after a mix-up with her grandfather's heart medication.

Cas cleared the teenager to continue to compete at the event. They said Valieva was a "protected person" under Wada rules.

Banka was disappointed with the decision at the time and said "doping of children is evil and unforgivable".