Kamila Valieva has officially been cleared to compete by the Russian Skating Federation after her doping ban was frozen. The 16-year-old won the European title last month, but some observers suggested she should return the title after Russian authorities admitted they’d made a mistake and should not have allowed her to compete.
She was initially banned for four years by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) after she tested positive for a banned substance called meldonium in 2018.
Kamila Valieva is a Russian figure skater who has just been cleared to compete by the Russian Skating Federation after her doping ban was frozen.
Valieva, who won the European title last month, tested positive for meldonium in 2016 and served a four-year ban before returning to competition at this month’s European championships in Prague.
On Tuesday, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced that it would lift its suspension of Russia’s athletes from competing at next year’s Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang if they agreed to participate under strict conditions. The decision has prompted many Russians who were banned for life from competing for their country due to past doping violations to submit applications asking for their bans to be lifted so they can compete as part of Team Russia next February.
Kamila Valieva Breathes Easy
“I’m so happy,” Valieva said after learning on Monday that her application had been accepted by the Russian Skating Federation and would be forwarded to WADA within 24 hours.”It’s not just about me; it’s about all those young girls coming up through junior stages who hope one day they’ll make it into senior ranks—and this gives them hope.”
In March, she won the European figure skating title. But some observers suggested she should return the title after Russian authorities admitted they’d made a mistake and should not have allowed her to compete.
She was born in Moscow, but relocated to Bulgaria with her mother when she was three years old. Valieva’s father is Bulgarian; he and Valieva’s mom split up when she was young.