Winter Olympics: Kamila Valieva failed drug test confirmed

[Eugene]

Source: BBC

Winter Olympics: Kamila Valieva failed drug test confirmed

By Anna Thompson
BBC Sport in Beijing
Last updated on 11 February 2022 11 February 2022.
From the section Winter Olympics

Kamila Valieva, the 15-year-old Russian figure skating star who helped her team win Winter Olympic gold in Beijing, failed a drugs test in December.

Valieva, who was the first female skater to land a quadruple jump at an Olympics as her team won last Monday, had a sample collected on 25 December at the Russian Figure Skating Championships in St Petersburg.

But the positive result was only reported on Tuesday - the day after she helped to win team gold, but before the medal ceremony had taken place.

Valieva tested positive for trimetazidine, which is used in the prevention of angina attacks, but is on the banned list because it is classed as a cardiac metabolic modulator and has been proven to improve physical efficiency.

-snip-

Read more: https://www.bbc.com/sport/winter-olympics/60329120

[BlueTsunami2018]

1. She landed a quad on the world stage.

I don’t care what she was taking, that’s damned impressive at 15.

[Irish_Dem]

3. We don't know how much is her talent or the drugs.

She was using drugs to help her performance.

The drug she was taking pumped extra oxygen into her system to give her staying power.

She could do more than normal skaters.

[Me.]

4. THat It Gave Her An Edge Is NOw Indisputable

and some are questioning that if she has a heart problem, why was she competing in the first place.

[Irish_Dem]

7. She could have obtained a medical wavier for meds if she was ill.

Hard to imagine a juvenile cardiac patient able to perform as a world class athlete.

[Me.]

12. Exactly

I think the ruling hesitation has to do with the possibility her being ignorant of what the drug was for, however, that doesn't change the fact that she was given an advantage. She definitely shouldn't be allowed to to compete in the individual' program imho. I'm sorry for her if she didn't know especially as this will probably ruin skating for her forever.

[BlueTsunami2018]

15. Nonsense.

There isn’t a drug in the world that will assure you stick those landings or do the other elements with perfect balance. This is much ado about nothing.

[Irish_Dem]

17. It gives her quite an edge.

She has much more stamina and endurance than the other girls.

So she can do a blockbuster second half of her performance.
Without drugs she may not be able to pull that off.

[bluedigger]

11. You almost have to be 15 to do it.

There's reasons 25 year olds are has beens in the sport.

[Cuthbert Allgood]

13. She's taking performance enhancing drugs, so her performance could have been,

you know, enhanced. It is likely she couldn't have landed it without the drugs.

And fuck Russia for giving PEDs to 15 year old. When they (kinda maybe a little bit) can't compete in the Olympics as a country for using PEDs.

[BlueTsunami2018]

16. Come on.

As I said above, there isn’t a drug out there that will help you stick those landings. You still have to do the tricks.

[Cuthbert Allgood]

18. There are plenty of drugs out there that can increase your stamina.

The one she tested positive for as one example. That increased stamina is going to allow here to train more than her competitors and could very easily have made it possible for her to stick that landing based on her increased training.

Do you think Russia is feeding these PEDs to their athletes because they don't work?

[ProfessorGAC]

19. That's What They Said About...

...hitting a baseball, too.
Enhancers are almost certain to (due to increased oxygenation, therefore reducing the build up of lactic acid) the ability to have added muscle fiber. Especially fast twitch fibers.
Fast twitch fibers increase the performance of explosion moves. Like jumping.
Jumping higher is a distinct advantage in skating jumps. That is undeniable. It's simple physics. The higher one jumps, the more time they're in the air.
The excuse was silly when it was used about hitting. It's a silly defense in this case, too.
PEDs, in fact, would help one stick those landings.

[BigmanPigman]

2. The IOC is finally getting serious about this.

Russian athletes say that they have to take drugs if they want to be on the team so it isn't as if they have a choice. This is really screwed up.

[tishaLA]

5. Do they get to keep the gold?

I can't imagine the could, but with this year's olympics, anything is possible.

[Angleae]

8. If they do, any legitimacy the IOC had goes out the window.

[SoCalDavidS]

6. So, Are There Any Consequences?

Obviously if they get to keep the Gold medal, it simply proves that Cheating Pays, if you can get away with it. Which wouldn't be a big surprise.

[Irish_Dem]

9. The Russians drug the child athletes on purpose.

The Russians have a huge, sophisticated, successful doping program.

They particularly target the children because minors are given a protected status by the international doping review committees. Child athletes cannot legally give consent to drugs given to them.

So often times the kids just get a reprimand and are still allowed to skate.

Also some of the drugs for skaters have to be given pre-puberty.
Such as hormones which delay puberty. Puberty adds weight to skaters which can severely impact their ability to skate.

Some drugs are given to cause weight loss, which keeps the kids skinny.

Many drugs are given to increase performance. And can cause death and permanent injury.

In the United States it would be called child abuse and endangerment.

[DinahMoeHum]

10. The sad part in all this, I believe, is. . .

the ROC team could have won the gold medal even without Valieva.

As it is, a proper punishment for this incident should be (IMO):

1) DQ the ROC for the team event, and strip them of their medal.

2) Let the other ROC skaters compete in their respective individual events (pairs, ice dance, singles) since as far as we know, they're clean.

BUT

Valieva should be declared ineligible to compete in ladies singles this Olympics. The backlash would be devastating if she were allowed to compete right now. Hell, she should be banned from internationally sanctioned competitions for a few years.



Sheesh, those fuckheads NEVER learn, do they?

[Cuthbert Allgood]

14. At some point, the ROC needs to not be allowed to compete.

They are the ROC because of PEDs and now they are still giving PEDs to athletes. How about we not let them do that? Let the athletes compete for another country. Then Russia likely won't get them back.

[IngridsLittleAngel]

20. I keep waiting to hear from the noble knights fighting to protect women's sports..

After all, girls and women's sports are all under attack! This is a Serious Problem™ and it needs Serious Action™! Sports should be a safe space for females, and it's total injustice that these girls lost to a doped-up 15 year old Russian girl! They all should've had a fair chance to win, and it was denied because of the cocktail of drugs she's on!

And I know they're around. They have to be. I saw them just the other day, speaking up and fighting valiantly to protect female athletes!

Who is going to do something?! When is it going to be done?! This cannot be allowed to happen to female athletes! This is Serious™! This is the worst injustice in the world today and....

Wait. What's that about Kamila Valieva? She's.... Ohh... OHHHH. Nevermind. All good. This isn't a travesty after all. Move along. Nothing to see here. All female athletes are free and safe from Serious Issues™.