What to Know About Kamila Valieva’s Reported Positive Drug Test and the Heart Medicine’s History in Doping

After a day of swirling rumors and nameless leaks, the Russian newspaper RBC reported that the star of the Russian determine skating squad, 15-year-old Kamila Valieva, examined constructive for a banned substance.

The AP, citing the Russian newspaper, reported that Valieva—the gold-medal favourite who simply days earlier than grew to become the primary girl to land a quadruple soar within the Olympics—apparently examined constructive earlier than the Beijing Video games, and even earlier than the European Championships in January. Worldwide athletes are examined randomly at any time, each throughout and out of doors of competitions. Valieva reportedly examined constructive for the drug trimetazidine, which is a coronary heart medicine typically prescribed to sufferers with angina to take care of blood stream and stop blockages that may cease the center. It will possibly additionally cut back irritation and calm down blood vessels, and helps individuals who have had stents or coronary heart operations to take care of the regular stream of blood from the center to the remainder of the physique.
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Trimetazidine’s historical past in doping

The drug has had a darker historical past in recent times, nonetheless, as a doping agent by athletes searching for an additional edge in endurance, whether or not for coaching or for competitors.

Since 2014, the World Anti-Doping Company has listed trimetazidine as a metabolic modulator for that motive, because it may give athletes an unfair chemical benefit. Chinese language swimmer Solar Yang served a three-month ban in 2014 after testing constructive for the drug, whereas Russian bobsledder Nadezhda Sergeeva was disqualified from the 2018 Olympics and served an eight-month ban for a similar drug.

It’s unclear whether or not Valieva has a coronary heart situation or has another excuse for legitimately utilizing the drug. If both is the case, she would even have needed to obtain a particular dispensation or medical allowance to make use of the medicine.

What occurs subsequent after Valieva’s reported constructive drug take a look at

The medal ceremony for the staff determine skating occasion, scheduled for Feb. 8 in Beijing, was postponed indefinitely. Neither the Worldwide Olympic Committee (IOC) nor the Worldwide Skating Union (ISU) has issued a press release concerning the obvious violation. In explaining the delay at its common press briefing on Feb. 9, IOC spokesperson Mark Adams would solely say that “a state of affairs arose as we speak on brief discover which requires authorized session with the ISU…It’s an rising difficulty, and I can’t add very a lot.”

The Russian staff is already competing at its second Olympics because the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC), for the reason that nation continues to be serving a two-year ban for a state-sponsored doping program. From December 2020 to December 2022, no athlete can characterize or compete below the Russian flag on the Olympics, Paralympics, or World championships.

Athletes can enchantment doping violations, and the Court docket of Arbitration for Sport does have an workplace in Beijing to listen to time-sensitive instances. If the Russian information stories are true, it may disqualify the ROC staff, stripping them of the gold. That may imply the U.S. earns gold, present bronze medal winners Japan can be elevated to silver, and fourth-place Canada the bronze.

Relying on the method, it may additionally forestall Valieva from competing within the girls’s occasion that she was extensively anticipated to win, resulting from begin subsequent week. Valieva, the Russian nationwide champion, supplied a glimpse of her beautiful expertise within the staff occasion, skating each her brief and free applications and making historical past as the primary feminine skater to land a quadruple soar on the Olympics. That accolade too may additionally include an asterisk if the stories are confirmed that she has been utilizing a banned substance with out receiving a medical exemption.