Figure skating-Valieva failed test, IOC to appeal against Russian Agency lifting suspension

BEIJING :Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva has failed a test for a banned substance but her provisional suspension was lifted by the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA), a decision against which the International Olympic Committee (IOC) will appeal, the International Testing Agency (ITA) said on Friday.

Valieva, 15, failed the test collected at the Russian national championships on Dec. 25 and the sample returned positive on Feb. 8, the ITA said.

"The IOC will exercise its right to appeal and not to wait for the reasoned decision by RUSADA, because a decision is needed before the next competition the athlete is due to take part in (Women Single Skating, 15 February 2022)," the ITA said in a statement.

The appeal will be handled by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

"The athlete challenged the imposition of the provisional suspension before the RUSADA Disciplinary Anti-Doping Committee on 9 February 2022 and a hearing took place on the same day.

"On the evening of 9 February 2020, the RUSADA Disciplinary Anti-Doping Committee decided to lift the athlete’s provisional suspension, thus allowing her to continue her participation in the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022."

The Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) skaters won the team event on Monday, but the medal ceremony was delayed for legal reasons.

Valieva, who had already practiced at the rink adjacent to the Capital Indoor Stadium on Thursday https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/sports/figure-skating-medals-ceremony-delayed-over-legal-consultation-2022-02-09, took to the ice again for practive on Friday.

The female figure skaters of ROC have another training slot available at 1305 local time (0305GMT) on Friday, which they are free to skip.

Russian athletes are already