‘Horrific’: BOA chief backs harsher ROC ban if Valieva was deliberately doped

The British Olympic Association wants a harsher ban imposed on Russia if it can be proved that its sporting system deliberately doped the 15-year-old skater Kamila Valieva.

Speaking at the end of the Beijing Games, which ended with a gold medal at last for Britain in the women’s curling, the BOA chief executive Andy Anson described Valieva’s treatment as “horrific” and revealed it had lobbied the International Olympic Committee to investigate the skater’s entourage one or two days before the IOC decided to act.

Russia was officially banned from the Winter Olympics, although it was allowed to compete under the banner of the Russian Olympic Committee. But Anson indicated that his organisation would back a stiffer punishment if a wider investigation proved Russia wrongdoing.

“The Valieva stuff is horrific,” said Anson. “I don’t think we can pretend that it’s anything other than that. The investigation into everyone around her needs to be thorough and go as deep as it possibly can because what happened there was just completely unacceptable.”

Valieva’s doping case dominated these Games after her positive test for the banned heart drug TMZ was reported a day after she inspired the Russians to team skating gold. She was then allowed to continue competing by the Court of Arbitration for Sport but, under the most severe pressure, she fell twice in the individual figure skating and finished fourth.

To make matters worse, Valieva was then scalded by her coach, Eteri Tutberidze, as she left the ice in tears – something the IOC president Thomas Bach condemned the next morning.

“I have to say I’ve found the IOC very open,” added Anson. “We’ve had discussions. We were pushing at the beginning that the entourage needed thoroughly