Russian teenager Kamila Valieva has been banned for four years by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). GETTY IMAGES

Russian teenager Kamila Valieva has been banned for four years by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). Valieva failed a doping test ahead of the 2022 Winter Olympics

Valieva was found to have "committed an anti-doping rule violation (ADRV) in accordance with Clause 4.1 of the All-Russian Anti-Doping Regulations of 24 June 2021," of the highest court in sport said. "A period of ineligibility of four years is imposed on Ms Valieva, starting from 25 December 2021.

"All of Ms Valieva's competition results from 25 December 2021 are disqualified, with all resulting consequences (including forfeiture of all titles, awards, medals, winnings, prizes and appearance fees)," CAS added.

Valieva was just 15 when she tested positive, raising questions not only about her guilt and the Russian Olympic system after the Sochi 2014 Winter Games, but also about how she was treated as a minor, the way the test was conducted and the value of the drug in question for performance enhancement.

Valieva won in Moscow two months before the final CAS decision. GETTY IMAGES
Valieva won in Moscow two months before the final CAS decision. GETTY IMAGES

After the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) cleared Valieva, the case was referred to CAS. The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the International Skating Union (ISU) then appealed RUSADA's decision. RUSADA itself also appealed. Three CAS judges met in Lausanne in September to hear the case. Valieva and some of the experts and witnesses participated via videoconference. 

In February 2022 in Beijing, Valieva became the first figure skater to land a quadruple jump in Olympic competition. She helped Russia win gold in the team competition. The next day, she was told she had tested positive for trimetazidine, a drug used to treat angina. Trimetazidine is banned for athletes. Under the pressure of suspicion and attention, Valieva cracked in Beijing, stumbling four times in the long programme and finishing in tears as she tumbled from first to fourth.

At just 15 years old, Russian skater Kamila Valieva has become both a star and a source of controversy. GETTY IMAGES
At just 15 years old, Russian skater Kamila Valieva has become both a star and a source of controversy. GETTY IMAGES

At the end of the year, RUSADA ruled that Valieva was "not at fault or negligent" for the positive test. From the outset, the case presented a dilemma. Valieva's age, 15 at the time, should have been a guarantee of confidentiality under WADA's rules for "protected persons" under the age of 16.

But Valieva's performance in the team event in the Olympic arena had already attracted the attention of the world. The ISU is raising the age limit for its senior category from 15 to 17 from this year. The reason given is the "physical, mental and emotional health" of the competitors.