Olympics Russian Doping Investigation Resolved
The International Olympic Committee resolved their investigation into Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva’s doping scandal and right to compete in the Olympics.
Valieva was provisionally banned by the Russian anti-doping agency after the results of a test for banned substances in December came back positive on February 8. This occurred the day after she helped her team clinch gold in the figure skating team event. The Swedish lab that processed the test has not commented on the reasons for the delay in returning results.
The current scandal comes in the wake of a similar scandal at the 2018 Winter Olympics. After, the IOC strengthened its controls and institutions around doping prevention. Despite an appeal by IOC bodies and a supplementary decision on whether Russia will be allowed to keep her gold medal, Valieva remains provisionally allowed to compete in the Games.
The decision to allow Valieva to compete without receiving medals has caused outcry in the international sporting community. In the short term, expect continued questions over all Russian athletes’ eligibility to compete. In the long run, expect also to see tighter testing controls and a revision of test guidelines at future Olympic Games, including greater accountability mechanisms for test timelines.
Wake up smarter with an assessment of the stories that will make headlines in the next 24 hours. Download The Daily Brief.
