Russian figure skating phenom Kamila Valieva learns fate in Olympics doping scandal
Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva was the talk of the 2022 Olympics in Beijing, as the then-15-year-old phenom helped the Russian Olympic Committee to a team gold medal.
However, the world came crashing on Valieva and the Russian team as she tested positive for a banned substance. At the time, she tested positive for three different substances meant to improve heart function in a sample taken prior to her arrival at the Beijing Olympics. She claimed that the banned substance may have been the result of contamination with medication that her grandfather took regularly.
On Monday, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) disqualified Valieva from the Olympics, which means the Russians are likely to have their gold medal stripped in the figure skating team event. The U.S. finished second and is set to be named Olympic champion instead.
The CAS banned her for four years, through December 2025. Her ban is retroactive to December 2021.
The International Olympic Committee decided to present any medals for the event in question. The organization said it upheld appeals led by the World Anti-Doping Agency, which asked the court to disqualify Valieva and ban her.
A Russian sports tribunal cleared Valieva of any wrongdoing.
"Having carefully considered all the evidence put before it, the CAS panel concluded that Ms. Valieva was not able to establish, on the balance of probabilities and on the basis of the evidence before the Panel, that she had not committed the (doping violation) intentionally," the court said in a statement.
BEIJING, CHINA - FEBRUARY 17: Kamila Valieva of Team ROC reacts after skating during the Women Single Skating Free Skating on day thirteen of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games at Capital Indoor Stadium on February 17, 2022 in Beijing, China. (Pho
World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) officials welcomed the ruling from the CAS.
"The doping of children is unforgivable," the organization said. "Doctors, coaches or other support personnel who are found to have provided performance-enhancing substances to minors should face the full force of the World Anti-Doping Code. Indeed, WADA encourages governments to consider passing legislation – as some have done already – making the doping of minors a criminal offense."
Russian officials had only suggested that Valieva would be disqualified from the national championships and let her keep the Olympic medal and result. The International Skating Union requested a two-year ban.
Fox News’ Paulina Dedja and The Associated Press contributed to this report. Read more of this story from FOX News.