Russian Olympic chief makes vow as Valieva faces threat of ban

The Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) has pledged to defend the interests of its figure skaters after the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) increased its pressure in the case involving teenage star Kamila Valieva.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) confirmed this week that it had registered an appeal from WADA against the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) and its handling of the investigation into Valieva’s positive test for the banned heart medication trimetazidine.

WADA is seeking a four-year ban for Valieva and the annulment of her results from December 25, 2021 – the date when her positive sample was collected.

That would mean that Valieva and the ROC would be stripped of the gold medal they won in the figure skating team event at the Beijing Winter Olympics in February.