Most Talked-About Controversies Linked to Kamila Valieva

Controversies are a part of history. Explore the biggest scandals linked to Kamila Valieva.

Kamila Valieva is a Russian figure skater notable for her achievements, including winning the 2021 Rostelecom Cup, the 2021 Skate Canada title, the 2020 Junior World Championship, and the 2019-20 Junior Grand Prix Final. She also secured a silver medal at the 2021 Russian National Championships, solidifying her position as a prominent figure in the world of figure skating.

Sections (5)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Challenges & Struggles Controversies & Scandals

1992: Comparison to 1992 Summer Olympics

In March 2023, the IOC compared the situation to the Independent Olympic Participants at the 1992 Summer Olympics.

2020: Comparison to 2020 and 2022 Olympics

In March 2023, the IOC compared the situation to the Independent Olympic Participants at the 1992 Summer Olympics and contrasted it with the Russian Olympic Committee's participation in Tokyo 2020 and Beijing 2022.

December 2021: Positive Drug Test in December 2021

In December 2021, Kamila Valieva's positive drug test coincided with the competition, leading to further investigations and controversy.

December 2021: Positive Drug Test

In December 2021, a drug test sample from Kamila Valieva tested positive for trimetazidine.

December 2021: Valieva Submits Urine Sample for Analysis

On 25 December 2021, Kamila Valieva submitted a routine urine sample for analysis following her win at the Russian Nationals on 24 December. The normal 20-day testing time for the sample lapsed.

December 2021: RUSADA Collects Sample from Valieva

On 25 December 2021, the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) collected a urine sample from Kamila Valieva at the 2022 Russian Figure Skating Championships.

December 2021: Retroactive Disqualification Start Date

On 29 January 2024, the CAS disqualified Kamila Valieva for four years retroactive to 25 December 2021 for an anti-doping rule violation, as a result of the positive test for trimetazidine.

2021: Championships anti-doping violation

In 2021, Kamila Valieva had an anti-doping violation which was rescinded by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in 2024.

February 2022: Positive Doping Test Results Forwarded

In February 2022, after the Beijing Olympics had started and the team event had concluded, the positive doping test results from Kamila Valieva's sample taken in December 2021 were forwarded for evaluation.

February 2022: Positive Test and Delayed Medal Ceremony

In February 2022, specifically on the 8th, the medal ceremony for the team event at the Olympics, in which the ROC won gold, was delayed. It was also determined that the urine sample tested positive for traces of trimetazidine.

March 2022: Valieva's "B" Sample and Potential Suspension

By 9 March 2022, it was reported that Kamila Valieva had not requested that her "B" sample be tested. Travis Tygart of the USADA reported on Valieva's potential suspension, depending on the findings in the ongoing RUSADA investigation of doping.

March 2022: Ban from World Championships

In early March 2022, the IOC and ISU banned all figure skaters and officials from Russia and Belarus from attending the World Championships due to Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, preventing Kamila Valieva from participating in the competition.

August 2022: WADA Request for RUSADA Report Completion

On 17 March, WADA requested that RUSADA complete its report on Kamila Valieva and her entourage by 8 August 2022.

November 2022: CAS Registers WADA Appeal

On 14 November 2022, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) registered an appeal by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) about a possible violation of anti-doping rules by Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva.

December 2022: Ukrainian Government Issues Sanctions Against Valieva

In December 2022, the Ukrainian government issued personal sanctions against 56 athletes, including Kamila Valieva, who the Ukrainian government accused of actively supporting the war in Ukraine and justifying the military invasion and genocide of Ukrainians.

2022: Disqualification from championships

In 2022, Kamila Valieva had her first-place finishes at the European Figure Skating Championships and the Olympic team event disqualified due to doping.

2022: Winter Olympics and Doping Allegations

In 2022, Kamila Valieva participated in the Winter Olympics and initially placed first in the short program and women's free skate in the team event, but her results were later nullified due to doping allegations.

2022: Criticism of Secrecy in Valieva Case

In 2022, there was criticism regarding the lack of transparency and secrecy surrounding the Valieva case and its proceedings, raising questions about the integrity of the anti-doping system and the legitimacy of the Beijing Games results.

2022: Comparison to 2020 and 2022 Olympics

2022: ISU Disqualifies Valieva and Reallocates Medals

On 30 January 2024, the ISU disqualified Kamila Valieva from the 2022 European Championships and the 2022 Winter Olympics in compliance with the CAS ruling. This caused the stripping of her gold medal at the 2022 European Championships and the reallocation of medals in the 2022 Winter Olympics team event.

2022: Stripped of Gold Medal at 2022 Russian Figure Skating Championships

On January 13, 2023, it was announced that the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) stripped Kamila Valieva of her gold medal in the senior women's singles of the 2022 Russian Figure Skating Championships stemming from her positive test for trimetazidine in 2022. Alexandra Trusova then became the gold medalist, with Anna Shcherbakova taking silver, and Adeliia Petrosian the bronze. However, RUSADA refused to strip her Olympic gold medal in the team event.

January 2023: Valieva stripped of gold medal in senior women's singles of the 2022 Russian Figure Skating Championships

On 13 January 2023, the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) stripped Kamila Valieva of her gold medal in the senior women's singles of the 2022 Russian Figure Skating Championships stemming from her positive test for trimetazidine. The organization said that "Valieva had no fault in the positive drug test".

March 2023: Criticism and Delay in Olympic Medal Presentation

As of March 2023, Evan Bates and Nathan Chen criticized the lack of transparency in the review of the Valieva case, which created an undue delay for the presentation of the Olympic medals that were withheld for more than a year.

March 2023: IOC Supports Return of Russian and Belarusian Athletes

In March 2023, the IOC published a statement stating that it supported the return of Russian and Belarusian athletes such as Kamila Valieva, as long as they did not "actively" support the war and as long as their flag, anthem, colours, and organizations were excluded.

June 2023: CAS Announces Hearing in Doping Case

On 22 June 2023, CAS announced that the hearing in the doping case was scheduled to take place 26–29 September 2023.

September 2023: Announcement of CAS Panel Lead

On 15 September 2023, it was announced that British lawyer James Drake would lead the CAS panel of arbitrators in Kamila Valieva's doping case.

September 2023: CAS Adjourns Hearing and Orders Further Documentation

On 28 September 2023, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) "ordered the production of further documentation" and announced that Kamila Valieva's hearing had been adjourned until 9–10 November.

January 2024: CAS Expected to Announce Decision

On 10 November, CAS announced that a final decision was expected by the end of January 2024 regarding Kamila Valieva's case.

January 2024: CAS Disqualifies Valieva for Four Years

On 29 January 2024, the CAS disqualified Kamila Valieva for four years retroactive to 25 December 2021 for an anti-doping rule violation, as a result of the positive test for trimetazidine.

January 2024: CAS Ruling and Ban

On January 29, 2024, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruled in Kamila Valieva's doping case, imposing a four-year ban backdated to December 25, 2021, and disqualifying her competitive results from that date.

February 2024: Sporting Sanctions Against Russia Remain in Effect

As of February 2024, sporting sanctions against Russia remained in full effect, potentially precluding Kamila Valieva from participation in the 2026 Winter Olympics.

2024: Nullification of Olympic Results

In 2024, Kamila Valieva's results in the 2022 Olympic team event were nullified and her team medal was stripped by a decision of the CAS due to doping.

2024: CAS rescinds European Championships debut

In 2024, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) rescinded Kamila Valieva's European Championships debut due to a 2021 anti-doping violation.

2024: Potential for Valieva to Participate in 2026 Winter Olympics

The eligibility of Russian athletes at the 2024 Summer Olympics was reported by the Associated Press as allowing 15 Russian 'neutrals' to fully participate, potentially allowing for Valieva to participate at the 2026 Winter Olympics.