Russian figure skater suspended for four years for doping

Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva has been disqualified from the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics and suspended for four years in a doping case that rocked the competition in China.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne (CAS) announced that it accepted the appeals of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and disqualified Valieva from the Games in Beijing and suspended her for four years - until December 25, 2025.

With the CAS decision, Russia will be stripped of the gold medal Valieva won in the team competition.

USA skaters then won silver and Canada bronze.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) then decided not to award medals in the competition, which was dominated by the 15-year-old Valieva before it was revealed she had tested positive for a banned substance in pre-Games testing.

News of the positive doping test was announced during the competition on February 7, and Valijeva was allowed to continue participating.

CAS ruled during the Games that Valieva, whose positive test in December 2021 came after using drugs to improve heart function, could continue to compete in Beijing.

She was the favorite, but fell several times during the free program and did not win a medal in the individual competition.

Russia's anti-doping tribunal acquitted Vali, stating that she was a minor at the time.

Vali's legal team said it was considering the CAS decision before deciding whether to appeal to the Swiss Supreme Court.

Her lawyers stated that she came into contact with the banned substance because of a drug used by her grandfather.