The key questions about figure skater Kamila Valieva after failed drug test

Fifteen-year-old Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva is facing an uncertain future at the Beijing Olympics after testing positive for a banned heart medication.

Here, the PA news agency looks at the issues and potential repercussions surrounding her ongoing case.

Valieva is the latest Russian figure skating superstar. She is the overall world record holder, and on Monday became the first female skater to land quad jumps at an Olympics, as she inspired the team from the Russian Olympic Committee to a gold medal in the mixed team event. She is the overwhelming favourite to win the ladies’ singles title later next week.

The International Testing Agency announced on Friday that she tested positive for a banned heart medication following a test at the Russian Championships on Christmas Day. It said the result was confirmed on Tuesday, the day after the team event. Valieva’s team immediately won an appeal to the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) against her provisional suspension. She continues to practise in Beijing whilst the ITA, on behalf of the International Olympic Committee, appeals to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, with the presumed intention of barring her from the remainder of the Games.

Trimetazidine is a heart medication commonly used to treat angina. It has been on the World Anti-Doping Agency’s banned list since 2014. It helps to maintain blood flow and relax blood vessels, ostensibly to help a person breathe more easily. Chinese swimmer Sun Yang was given a three-month ban for using it in 2014, and Nigerian sprinter Blessing Okagbare has also been sanctioned after traces were found in her system.

Under WADA rules, Valieva is considered a ‘protected person’, meaning the usual rule of strict liability does