European champion Kamila Valieva, known for her remarkable single skating performances, shared a new video in which she strolls through a greenhouse filled with an array of exotic plants. The caption reads simply, “A place to inspire,” reflecting a moment of quiet reflection away from the rink.
Valieva’s achievements with the Russian team have been widely noted. She contributed to Russia’s victory in the team event at the 2022 Winter Games in Beijing. However, the Games faced a dramatic interruption when, on February 8, the ceremony was postponed after Valieva tested positive for trimetazidine in a doping control administered during the Russian Championship. The substance is banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency and triggered a series of investigations and discussions around medals and results.
Following the findings, the Court of Arbitration for Sport issued an exit panel allowing Valieva to compete in the individual event, contingent on the condition that any medal she earned would not be awarded. Throughout the CAS proceedings, Valieva’s representatives suggested the possibility that the medication could have been prescribed by a family member, notably her grandfather, as part of a medical treatment narrative.
In the end, Valieva placed fourth in the individual competition. This outcome cleared the way for other skaters—Anna Shcherbakova and Alexandra Trusova of Russia, along with Kaori Sakomoto of Japan—to receive their medals and recognition from the event’s podium.
Later, on June 22, the Court of Arbitration for Sport announced that further hearings would take place later in the year, outlining dates that would guide the continuation of the case. The ongoing dialogue around the case has kept fans and analysts attentive to the evolving landscape of competitive skating, anti-doping rules, and the responsibilities of athletes under international sport governance.
Earlier appearances from Valieva included videos captured during evening strolls by riverbanks, offering fans glimpses of a different pace and mood away from the ice. These moments have added texture to the public persona beyond the rink, illustrating how elite athletes balance intense competition with personal downtime.