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The IOC declined to talk about the reasons, noting that they need to consult with the International Skating Union (ISU). "Because this has legal implications, I can't talk about it at this stage," Adams said. “This is a new problem.” The ISU said nothing new: "A situation has arisen that requires legal consultation with the IOC."

What is the reason for the postponement of the awards

The portal Inside the Games on Wednesday morning, February 9, following the press conference of the IOC, reported that the reason was the “problematic” doping test of the Russian figure skater, taken before the start of the Games. In the evening, Inside the Games clarified that a positive test was found in the leader of the season in women's figure skating, Kamila Valieva.

As sources told RBC Sport, “we are talking about trimetazidine, in minimal proportions,” said one of the interlocutors. The information was confirmed by a second source.

At the same time, Inside the Games notes that the proceedings were delayed due to the age of the athlete: she is not yet 16 years old, and therefore officially she cannot be accused of violating anti-doping rules. At the moment, several groups of lawyers are trying to find a way out of this situation.

At the same time, sports and anti-doping organizations, including the Russian Olympic Committee, the Ministry of Sports and the Russian Figure Skating Federation, did not confirm the information about Valieva's positive doping test.

Does a Substance Detected Improve Athletic Performance

Trimetazidine has been a banned substance since 2015 and was classified as a cardiometabolic modulator in 2021. It is on a par with the sensational meldonium, which was banned six years ago. “It's like meldonium. It protects the heart and brain during intense exercise, ”said sports doctor Nikita Karlitsky to the Championship.

As noted by The Guardian, the substance found during the doping test is not able to affect the results of the athlete. WADA reports that trimetazidine is a clinically effective anti-anginal and anti-ischemic metabolic agent used to treat chest pain and may improve physical performance in athletes. At the same time, WADA does not rule out that the banned substance may be detected due to taking the drug for migraine. In this case, WADA urges laboratories not to rush to conclusions.

Navka allowed a provocation in the story of the “doping” of the Russian figure skater Olympics 2022

Will Russia be deprived of gold and what threatens Valieva

In 2018, low concentration trimetazidine was found in a sample of Russian bobsledder Nadezhda Sergeeva at the Olympics in Pyeongchang. As a result, the athlete was disqualified, and her result at the Games was cancelled. However, unlike Valieva, Sergeeva's sample was taken at the Olympics, so it is impossible to draw parallels with this case.

According to Inside the games, Valieva may avoid sanctions because she is under 16 years old. At the same time, if an athlete is found guilty, in any case, she will face a milder liability than adult athletes in a similar situation. This was announced to RBC Sport by Sergey Alekseev, Chairman of the Sports Law Commission of the Russian Bar Association.

He also cited the fact that the sample was taken out of competition as a mitigating circumstance. “But you need to find out the details: under what circumstances, what drug got (into the figure skater’s body), what is the attitude of the athlete herself, as well as her entourage, to this event,” the lawyer added.

The Russian national team in the event of a positive test is likely to be deprived of gold and disqualified, experts say. But this will require opening a sample. B. Alekseev did not rule out that Valieva's case could drag on for a long time. “There are procedures for opening the B sample and other factors that will take time,” the lawyer said.

The expert also did not rule out that coach Eteri Tutberidze could face prosecution under the so-called Rodchenkov Act if Valieva's doping test is found positive. “In terms of the “Rodchenkov act”, it can really apply in this situation to the coach and the doctor who potentially prescribed the drug. But the principle of the presumption of innocence works here,” Alekseev said.

The law, named after the former director of the Moscow anti-doping laboratory, Grigory Rodchenkov, who submitted information about violations in Russian sports to the World Anti-Doping Agency, was adopted in the United States at the end of 2020. It criminalizes actions that allow anti-doping rule violations and allows US authorities to prosecute violators around the world.

The IOC is expected to make a statement on the Valieva case and the fate of the team tournament gold on Thursday morning.

bbabo.Net