At just 15 years old: Russian Olympic champion doped

Kamila Valieva is considered the ultimate figure skating talent. The 15-year-old made sports history in Beijing on Monday when she became the first woman to do two quadruple jumps. But now there is a dark shadow over the performance of the teenager, who has already been celebrated as a new star and even praised by Hollywood legend Alec Baldwin for her outstanding performance. Russia won the team competition with Valieva ahead of the USA and Japan. Canada came in fourth place. The Azzurri, with Daniel Grassl from Meran in the team, missed out on making it to the final.

On Tuesday, the figure skaters' award ceremony in Beijing was postponed, officially for legal reasons. A day later there were consistent media reports from Russia that 15-year-old Valieva had tested positive for the banned substance trimetazidine (used, among other things, as a medicine for heart problems). Russia with Valieva (far left) is likely to be deprived of the gold medal. © APA/afp / SEBASTIEN BOZON

There was no confirmation of this at the time from either the IOC or Russian representatives - because there is no obligation to name underage doping offenders. Russia has now made the doping case official. It is still unclear what punishment the young Russian woman will face. Lawyers are discussing the case. Test apparently already known in December Wie die Journal of Sport reported on Thursday that the positive doping test had already taken place in December. Nevertheless, Russia sent the 15-year-old to the European Championships in Estonia, where Valieva won the title. The case is therefore even more explosive, as Russia is only allowed to take part in the Winter Games on probation. Due to sanctions as a result of the state doping scandal surrounding the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi, the sporting power will only appear in Beijing, as it did in Tokyo in the summer, as the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC). Your own flag and anthem are not permitted.

Valieva is not the first prominent athlete to be sidelined due to trimetazidine. Four years ago, the Russian bobsleigh team tested positive for it (there was an 8-month ban). But the best-known name is that of swimmer Sun Yang. The Chinese had to return his three London Olympic medals (including a gold one) after a positive doping test.

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At just 15 years old: Russian Olympic champion doped

Russia would have won the team figure skating competition, but there will probably be no gold medal. The reason for this is doping - but the positive result was apparently weeks ago.

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