Russia Found ‘No Fault’ for Kamila Valieva in Doping Violation

But the next day, it was revealed that she tested positive a few weeks before the Olympics for a banned heart medication that could increase endurance. Travis T. Tygart, the chief executive of the United States Anti-Doping Agency, called it “total gross incompetence” that it took so long for the result to be reported.

The positive test put in limbo the team gold medal that Valieva helped earn. The American team placed second in that event and would be in line for gold should the medal eventually be stripped from Russia.

Valieva was allowed to continue skating at the Olympics while appeals were pending, but after leading the women’s event she bungled her free skate and finished fourth. After she left the ice in tears, her coach, Eteri Tutberidze, met her frostily, saying: “Why did you stop fighting? Explain it to me, why?” The gold medal winner was another Russian, Anna Shcherbakova.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/13/sports/kamila-valieva-doping-olympics.html