BEIJING — The International Olympic Committee is confident the status of 15-year-old Russian figure skating star Kamila Valieva will be decided before the women’s singles short program begins Tuesday, IOC spokesman Mark Adams said Saturday morning.
“There will be a resolution of this specific case, which is whether the suspension will be lifted or not,” Adams said. “I’m certain of that — as certain as I can be.”
Valieva tested positive for a banned heart medication Dec. 25, according to the International Testing Agency. After Russia’s anti-doping organization lifted a brief suspension that was never revealed publicly, she led the Russian Olympic Committee to a gold medal in the team event. The World Anti-Doping Agency is appealing the lifting of that suspension. Valieva’s eligibility for the individual event hangs in the balance as the ITA has vowed an expedited hearing.
The IOC stepped into the middle of the dispute between the Russian Anti-Doping Agency and WADA, publicly joining in WADA’s appeal in an effort to speed the process.
“Strictly speaking, we didn’t have to,” Adams said. “It does impact quite a lot on the Olympic Games here in Beijing, and we thought it was important we were involved in the process. … It was sending a signal we want this resolved as quickly as possible.”
Late Saturday morning, Adams said the Court of Arbitration for Sports was hearing arguments from the sides “probably, maybe even as we speak.”
“We want to see due process and we also want to see due process as quickly as possible,” Adams said. “This is why we have gone to CAS along with partners to challenge this ruling. We want to see it sorted out as quickly as possible. We all want to see concentration on sport. No one wants to see us looking at, concentrating on potential doping cases.”
Meanwhile, reports surfaced that Russian journalists threatened British colleagues over their reporting about Valieva.
“Tempers are a little bit fraught does particularly that this does involve a 15-year-old athlete,” Adams said. “Understandably, all sorts of arguments on all sides. It’s not acceptable for that to turn into threats of violence. We’d ask everyone to remain calm. … I think we all need to take a chill pill, as people would say when I was younger.”
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