Kamila Valieva’s Drug Scandal
Through “doping,” or taking illegal substances, athletes can increase their blood flow efficiency and improve their endurance levels for competitions. Thus, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) prohibits the usage of performance-enhancing drugs. On Dec. 25, 2021, 15-year-old figure skater Kamila Valieva, who competed for the Russian Olympic Committee in the 2022 Beijing Olympics, tested positive for a banned performance-enhancing heart medication called Trimetazidine. This is not the first time an Olympic athlete has broken the rules, and the ones who have been caught in the past faced consequences such as the forfeiture of their medals. In Valieva’s case, however, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) allowed her to continue competing at the 2022 Beijing Olympics. Due to this controversial decision, there have been mixed opinions from the press and audiences about the overall ethicality of the 2022 Beijing Olympics, especially concerning a topic involving a minor’s usage of drugs. Sophomore Riku Ogami is strongly against doping in sports, especially during the Olympics.
“Substance abuse has always been something I have looked down upon,” Ogami said. “As a cross country athlete, [I] pray that people will compete fairly in whatever sport they play. That is why hearing [this news], especially in a worldwide event like the Olympics, has left a sour taste in my mouth and I have lost respect for the International Olympic Committee.”
In addition to Trimetadizidine, Valieva tested positive for the usage of multiple heart drugs, including Hypoxen and L-carnitine. At a CAS hearing on Feb. 14, Valieva claimed that the positive drug test was caused by a mix-up with her grandfather’s heart medications (TIME). This contradicts another claim made by Valieva’s mother on Feb. 9 in which she states that her daughter had been taking Hypoxen due to heart rate variations (The New York Times). Despite testing positive for these drugs, CAS had allowed Valieva to continue competing in the women’s free skate category. This is accredited to the fact that young athletes like Valieva who are under 16 years old typically have more flexibility under anti-doping rules; thus, they are often not held responsible for the usage of banned substances. Young athletes are also seen as a “protected person” who could be under the influence due to the adults around them.
“[I] do think that Valieva’s statement is valid, and if her claim is true then I cannot blame her,” sophomore Augustine Sheen said. “However, even if she took the drugs accidentally, that [does not] change the fact that she still was able to utilize those drugs while competing. I do not think she deserves to compete with an unfair advantage and suffer the consequences of her own mistake.”
Although evidence of Valieva’s positive drug test was found on Dec. 25, 2021, a laboratory in Stockholm, Sweden who is affiliated with WADA holds responsibility for withholding the results from WADA until Feb. 8; the reason for the results being released late remains ambiguous. When Valieva’s drug test came back positive 45 days late, she was initially banned by the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) from all competitions, but Valieva’s team challenged the suspension and it was lifted a day later. WADA, along with the International Skating Union (ISU) and the International Testing Agency (ITA), appealed RUSADA’s reprieve from suspension, and the case was then sent to the CAS. Following CAS’s ruling, the executive board of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) posted an official statement to their website on Feb. 14 that if Valieva were to finish in the top three of the women’s single skating category, there would be no medal ceremony held for all finalists.
On Feb. 17, Valieva ranked fourth in the women’s individual figure skating category. Due to immense pressure, Valieva fell during her routine in the women’s free skate competition and ranked out of the top three (Columbia Broadcasting System). Following this new placement, Valieva sympathizers took to social media and expressed their disappointment by the lack of action taken by the adults supervising her. Due to Valieva’s age, many people have suspected that she was forced to dope by the adults around her to perform better. Shortly after the results of the women’s individual skating category were released, IOC president Thomas Bach criticized Valieva’s entourage in a press conference due to these suspicions. Bach also supported the investigation of Valieva’s coach and entourage, as support personnels of athletes under 16 are automatically required to be investigated for their role in the athlete’s use of banned substances (WADA). The Intelligence and Investigations Department started investigating the adults surrounding Valieva on Feb. 13, while the Russian Anti-Doping Agency is currently investigating her entourage. Sophomore Anastasia Kudo is disappointed by the way Valieva’s team handled the entire situation.
“Valieva should not have competed in the 2022 Beijing Olympics when they found out about the positive drug test,” Kudo said. “Valieva’s entourage pushing her to compete is what caused her to emotionally break down, and [no one] my age should have to go through something like that. I hope the investigation gets to the bottom of what really happened and if the adults around her are responsible for this doping incident.”
