The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) released a detailed 129‑page statement of reasons concerning Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva, specifying the substance linked to the anti-doping ruling. The document identifies ecdysterone as present in the skater’s bloodstream, noting that while the substance has anabolic effects and is permitted by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) under certain conditions, it is subject to WADA’s monitoring program due to potential future restrictions.
On January 29, CAS issued a four‑year disqualification for Valieva for violations of anti-doping rules tied to the detected substance. The penalty period was set to run from December 2021, reflecting the retroactive nature of the sanction and its timing relative to the events in question.
The consequence of this ruling did not stop Valieva from continuing to participate in the Olympic Games in Beijing, where she contributed to her team’s performance and secured a gold medal in the team event. The following day, January 30, the International Skating Union (ISU) reviewed the competition results and subsequently stripped the Russian team of the gold from the team event, altering the medal standings and the team’s official record of achievement.
Earlier, Valieva and her representatives provided explanations through CAS, detailing how the banned substance entered her system. The explanations emphasized the complexities involved in anti-doping investigations and the challenges athletes face in tracing the pathways of prohibited substances, while reiterating the importance of clear rules and independent adjudication in high‑profile sports cases.