SKA hockey head coach Roman Rotenberg commented on the CAS ruling involving Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva, calling the decision political. His remarks were shared on the club’s official website.
Rotenberg noted that politics cannot be steered by the team. He described the ruling as politicized and pointed out that the court handed a four-year ban retroactive to 2021. He added that there is a little over a year remaining in the sentence and urged the team not to overreact, to stay focused, and to keep moving forward. He framed the situation as a test to be met with resilience and continued work, rather than despair. “This is how we move ahead. This is our challenge,” he stated.
On January 29, the Court of Arbitration for Sport announced a four-year suspension for Kamila Valieva due to anti-doping rule violations.
Earlier, on December 25, 2021, Valieva’s sample at the Russian Championships tested positive for trimetazidine. The Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) decided to cancel the skater’s result at that national event. Despite the ruling, Valieva went on to compete at the Beijing Olympic Games, where she contributed to Russia’s gold-medal victory in the team event.
In the period that followed, Valieva also captured the 2022 European Championship title, a triumph that will now be attributed to another Russian skater, Anna Shcherbakova, under the post-competition adjustments.
Meanwhile, the International Olympic Committee and other officials have noted that the doping case involving Valieva has reached a resolution phase, though it continues to generate discussion within the sport and among fans and athletes alike.