The president of the Republic of Kalmykia, Chairman of the Supreme Supervisory Council of the Russian Kickboxing Federation (RFKR) Batu Khasikov spoke about the doping case of figure skater Kamila Valieva, the 2022 Olympic champion in team competitions. In an interview with socialbites.ca, he struggled to assess the athlete’s chances of winning the trial, calling him a hero and insisting that he move on no matter what.
“It’s hard to take chances, especially when everything is so artificial and politicized. I will say only one thing: Kamila Valieva is, in any case, for us a hero, pride and symbol of the greatness of Russian sport. I wish he didn’t pay attention to all this. Of course we should fight, but we shouldn’t take it seriously. Be honest with yourself and keep going with your head held high,” says Khasikov.
The scandal surrounding Valieva broke out after it was revealed that traces of the banned drug trimetazidine were found in a doping test after she won the team competition at the Beijing Olympics. Despite this, she was allowed to compete in the individual championships, where she finished fourth.
Valieva’s case is being considered by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). The hearing was held in September, but the court postponed the decision until November for the preparation of additional documents. The trial will continue on 9 and 10 November. If Valieva is found guilty of violating anti-doping rules, the Russian team could lose its Olympic team gold medal. The awards have not yet been awarded due to the open doping case.
Valiev in the early hours of the trial day published video with the words: “I only have thoughts of revenge in my head.”
Source: Gazeta
Gregory Robert is a sports aficionado and a writer for “Social Bites”. He provides in-depth coverage of the latest sporting events and trends, offering a unique and knowledgeable perspective on the world of sports.