Valieva Banned for Four Years, Effective December 25, 2021

[Coco]

Was this Associated Press article by Eddie Pells (Sept. 12, 2024) ever posted? (elsewhere on FSU, I mean?)

'Stop that urgently.' Possible path to innocence for Russian skater was held back at WADA's urging

When details from a scientific experiment that could have helped clear embattled Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva landed at the World Anti-Doping Agency, the leader of that organization’s reaction was unequivocal: “We have to stop that urgently,” he wrote.

apnews.com

This article has to have some PR hack for Russia behind it.

I can't take it seriously when it states:

The relationship between WADA and Russia has been tense, following 10 years of difficult and, some felt, duplicitous activity by the Russians as they sought to regain firm footing in international sports.

This period includes Sochi, where RUSSIA CUT A HOLE IN THE WALL AND SWITCHED OUT URINE SAMPLES.

Is this what we can expect from the AP now that Elon and Putin rule the world?

 

[caseyedwards]

This article has to have some PR hack for Russia behind it.

I can't take it seriously when it states:



This period includes Sochi, where RUSSIA CUT A HOLE IN THE WALL AND SWITCHED OUT URINE SAMPLES.

Is this what we can expect from the AP now that Elon and Putin rule the world?

it was a wada lab. Is there a reason why they didn’t have security cameras watching what was going on? There is confusion. The lab was in Russia but it was a wada lab.

 

[Alilou]

Aaaaaaaand the adults have been found to be not responsible. At all.

International Skating Union confirms investigation, four years after Olympic doping scandal

Inside the unanswered questions after a child was placed at the centre of an Olympic scandal.

brokenice.substack.com

"There were immediate cries for an investigation and accountability for the adults surrounding Valieva, including her coaches and team doctors.

Today, the sport’s governing body says those investigations have been completed, yielding no consequences to anyone beyond Valieva.

The subsequent ban on Russian athletes due to the Russia-Ukraine war and a four-year ban on Valieva herself have left one of the most troubling Olympic scandals in modern figure skating quietly unresolved — a case with no adult accountability at all."

 

[Firedancer]

Aaaaaaaand the adults have been found to be not responsible. At all.

International Skating Union confirms investigation, four years after Olympic doping scandal

Inside the unanswered questions after a child was placed at the centre of an Olympic scandal.

brokenice.substack.com

"There were immediate cries for an investigation and accountability for the adults surrounding Valieva, including her coaches and team doctors.

Today, the sport’s governing body says those investigations have been completed, yielding no consequences to anyone beyond Valieva.

The subsequent ban on Russian athletes due to the Russia-Ukraine war and a four-year ban on Valieva herself have left one of the most troubling Olympic scandals in modern figure skating quietly unresolved — a case with no adult accountability at all."

Sadly not surprising

 

[rfisher]

Valieva is back in competition and has one of her quads back at age 20.

 

[DreamSkates]

Valieva is back in competition and has one of her quads back at age 20.

ok, but I'll always wonder what drug she is taking to make that possible

 

[her grace]

ok, but I'll always wonder what drug she is taking to make that possible

And I'll always wonder if she would've been able to learn the quad at all without the assistance of performance-enhancing drugs

 

[Sparks]

Aaaaaaaand the adults have been found to be not responsible. At all.

International Skating Union confirms investigation, four years after Olympic doping scandal

Inside the unanswered questions after a child was placed at the centre of an Olympic scandal.

brokenice.substack.com

"There were immediate cries for an investigation and accountability for the adults surrounding Valieva, including her coaches and team doctors.

Today, the sport’s governing body says those investigations have been completed, yielding no consequences to anyone beyond Valieva.

The subsequent ban on Russian athletes due to the Russia-Ukraine war and a four-year ban on Valieva herself have left one of the most troubling Olympic scandals in modern figure skating quietly unresolved — a case with no adult accountability at all."

ok, but I'll always wonder what drug she is taking to make that possible

 

[tangerine dream]

ok, but I'll always wonder what drug she is taking to make that possible

Would she have been drug tested during her ban? I assume no?

 

[MsZem]

Valieva is back in competition and has one of her quads back at age 20.

You know that social media account that posts research results and adds "in mice"?

I feel like any references to Russian skaters competing should similarly be labeled "in Russia"

 

[overedge]

What a convenient time to release the report, when everyone's attention is focused on the current Olympics

 

[rfisher]

I'm not sure why this "news" about there being an explanation regarding the drug is being posted now. This was known 4 years ago and WADA refused to let the information be part of the appeal. I guess it just wasn't discussed on FSU, but it was in detail on other forums at the time, especially after the Chinese swim team weren't sanctioned.

And, yes, Valieva is skating in Russia because they can't compete elsewhere at this time. She's only been doing shows for the past 4 years and has not competed in any of the Russian competitions until the ban was lifted. She competed in the recent jump competition but obviously won't be in the Russian GP final which is the last major competition for the season.

 

[Alilou]

I'm not sure why this "news" about there being an explanation regarding the drug is being posted now. This was known 4 years ago and WADA refused to let the information be part of the appeal. I guess it just wasn't discussed on FSU, but it was in detail on other forums at the time, especially after the Chinese swim team weren't sanctioned.

And, yes, Valieva is skating in Russia because they can't compete elsewhere at this time. She's only been doing shows for the past 4 years and has not competed in any of the Russian competitions until the ban was lifted. She competed in the recent jump competition but obviously won't be in the Russian GP final which is the last major competition for the season.

This isn't the news about Valieva's doping, it's the news that the adults in charge of her have been investigated and have been acquitted of any responsibility.

 

[MacMadame]

I'm not sure why this "news" about there being an explanation regarding the drug is being posted now. This was known 4 years ago and WADA refused to let the information be part of the appeal.

It's news because the head of WADA recently issued a statement. So Broken Ice wrote an article about it.

Ahead of the start of the 2026 Olympics, the head of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) told the media he feels “uncomfortable” seeing Valieva’s former coach present at the Milano-Cortina 2026 Games, while also saying that no evidence was found linking the coach directly to the doping offence from 2022.

I believe this was also posted but apparently you missed it? It's a week old statement, not a 4 year old statement.

WADA president unhappy that controversial Russian figure skating coach is working at Milan Olympics

Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva’s coach from the Beijing Games is back at the Winter Olympics, and World Anti-Doping Agency president Witold Banka isn’t happy about it.

apnews.com

 

[Vash01]

And I'll always wonder if she would've been able to learn the quad at all without the assistance of performance-enhancing drugs

I don’t see why she couldn’t have learned the quad. Many Russian ‘women’ have been doing quads since very young ages (IIRC Trusova, Shcherbakova among well known skaters). They started learning difficult jumps early.

 

[SakuraHere]

European Court of Humanity Rights filed Valieva case. Some court ruling is expected.

 

[Sylvia]

European Court of Humanity Rights filed Valieva case. Some court ruled is expected.

Maybe you could take the time to post a link? Sept. 7, 2026: https://tass.com/sports/2183853

Also:

https://www.reddit.com/r/FigureSkating/comments/1wa3vlq/valieva_files_a_complaint_to_echr/

Might as well put the Sept. 5th Reuters article in this thread, too: https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2026...has-neutral-status-revoked-source-says-a93644

Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva will not be able to compete internationally this year, after the sport's governing body revoked her neutral athlete status, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters on Saturday.
She has received a letter informing her of the International Skating Union's (ISU) decision to revoke her neutral status, the source said.
The ISU declined to comment. Valieva's representatives were not immediately available for comment.

I posted the Associated Press' article on Valieva (the journalist covered the Valieva situation at Beijing 2022) here: https://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/th...a-lifted-july-2026.113870/page-6#post-6950945

 

[TAHbKA]

Аm not sure I understood what exactly she had filed - the 4 years ban that is already over? What's the point then? The AIN status? How is that related to ECHR?

 

[SakuraHere]

Аm not sure I understood what exactly she had filed - the 4 years ban that is already over? What's the point then? The AIN status? How is that related to ECHR?

https://www.reddit.com/r/FigureSkating/comments/1wa6ymn/valieva_case_document/

 

[barbk]

Аm not sure I understood what exactly she had filed - the 4 years ban that is already over? What's the point then? The AIN status? How is that related to ECHR?

From what I read in the doc -

- It wasn't fair. She was a protected person. It wasn't fair. She shouldn't have been held responsible. It wasn't fair. Then I got tired and quit reading.

 

[Karen-W]

What a joke. Russia is no longer a signatory to the ECHR, but since she doped before Russia quit the ECHR in Sept 2022, they're going to try to get her ban & that Olympic TE gold medal back with this last ditch effort.

 

[SakuraHere]

Russia is no longer a signatory to the ECHR

It means you can't complain against Russia. But anyone can complain against for example Switzerland.

 

[layman]

I think the best justice and closure for Valieva would be for the people who drugged her to finally be sanctioned.

 

[Vagabond]

I think the best justice and closure for Valieva would be for the people who drugged her to finally be sanctioned.

Valieva herself would need to come clean about her involvement and face the possible consequences.

 

[layman]

Valieva herself would need to come clean about her involvement and face the possible consequences.

I am sure that she could say something along the lines of, "I was just 15...I took (and did) what the coaches and officials told me to."

 

[Vagabond]

I am sure that she could say something along the lines of, "I was just 15...I took (and did) what the coaches and officials told me to."

I have said this before in this thread, and I will say it again.

Valieva made up a story about sharing a beverage with her mother's partner and then concocted a story about an ostensibly contaminated strawberry treat that she claimed to have taken on the train from Moscow to St. Petersburg. Evgenia Medvedeva, who traveled in the same compartment, contradicted the story, and the CAS found Valieva's account impossible to believe.

Even if Valieva truly had no idea that she was being drugged, her fabrications, including testimony under oath, make her an accessory after the fact. No amount of sympathy for her can change the fact that she was, at the very least, complicit in a coverup.

Fifteen (or older, when she testified) is old enough to know that it is wrong to lie under oath. If it were not, she would not have been allowed to testify.

 

[Pink Cats]

I am sure that she could say something along the lines of, "I was just 15...I took (and did) what the coaches and officials told me to."

She was 15 not 5. If at 15 she was not aware enough of the rules against doping or mature enough to take responsibility for taking banned drugs she should not have been competing. After all she would have had to pee into a cup fairly often.

 

[Vagabond]

Adding to what @Pink Cats said:

Valieva has admitted to taking 56 other medications and supplements besides those that led to the ban. She has also admitted to taking elaborate safety precautions so that she would not inadvertently take prohibited substances. She may not have been the "pure and innocent child" Eteri Tuberidze once called her, but she is no fool either

 

[Coco]

If anyone thinks she mounted her own defense, with complete freedom to implicate her coaches and trainers, I have some magic beans to sell you.

She's a pawn here, only guilty of not questioning the adults around her.

If she had, we would have never learned her name.

 

[BittyBug]

She's a pawn here, only guilty of not questioning the adults around her.

Pawn or not, the drugs were in her system - nobody else’s.

(OT: Ever watch “Locked Up Abroad”? Ignorance is not an excuse.)