Winter Olympics: What now for Russia's Kamila Valieva after failed drugs test?

If Kamila Valieva wins Olympic gold this week, there will be no medal ceremony, no anthem and no flag.

That is what happens when an athlete who has failed a drugs test is allowed to compete at a Games where her country is already banned for a doping scandal.

The medal is on hold until a decision has been made on Valieva — before she has even competed.

Alongside the outrage and the questions about who is responsible for the fact a 15-year-old Russian figure skater has tested positive for a banned substance are those who are disappointed and disillusioned by the processes that have led to this scenario.

So, how did we get to this point?

When the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (Rusada) received word on 8 February that Valieva had failed a drugs test, it provisionally suspended her in line with Wada rules.

Valieva appealed against the decision — on what grounds, it is so far unclear — and Rusada agreed to lift the suspension the following day.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC), World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) and the International Skating Union (ISU) then launched an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas) to get the provisional ban re-imposed.

The Cas hearing was only ever about the provisional ban — it was not considering the positive test or the circumstances around it.

It decided that because of Valieva's age and the «untimely notification of the results» of the failed test — in the middle of the Games and nearly six weeks after she gave the sample — that it would do her «irreparable harm» if she were not allowed to compete.

So, she can take part in the women's event which starts on Tuesday and which she is favourite to win.

But the issue of the failed drugs test will still need to be resolved and no time frame has