The head of the Russian Anti-Doping Agency, Veronika Loginova, commented on the Kamila Valieva case, noting that there was doping involved but the offense was minor. The report from Sports Express relays her assessment.
Loginova indicated that the athlete violated anti-doping rules, yet the violation should be considered minimal. A proportional sanction could be a formal warning, she stated.
The Valieva situation surfaced during the 2022 Winter Olympics when a prohibited substance was detected in a sample collected in December 2021. There were discussions about disqualifying the skater from the Games, but a decision to allow her to compete was reached just before the women’s individual event began.
Valieva did not secure a medal in the individual discipline. She did contribute to Russia’s team victory, which kept the team medal in place for the event. If a positive ruling confirmed a violation, it could affect the team’s standing. The case has been under review at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) with hearings scheduled from September 26 to 29.
Earlier remarks from RUSADA addressed the CAS hearings in Valieva’s case, outlining ongoing process and considerations as the proceedings moved forward.