Winter Olympics rocked as Russian figure skating gold medal sensation Kamila Valieva caught in drugs storm
TEEN SENSATION Kamila Valieva was last night caught up in an anti-doping storm at the Beijing Winter Olympics.
The Russian Olympic Committee won the team event on Monday ahead of the US and Japan for the first time since 2014.
However, Tuesday night’s medals ceremony was postponed and the IOC cited legal wrangling behind the scenes.
The Insidethegames website claimed that Valieva – who this week became the first woman to twice land a successful quad jump – was the subject of the drugs probe.
Russian media have stated that it was not due to performance-enhancing substances.
Valieva, nicknamed Miss Perfect, contributed 178.92 points in a breathtaking performance in China and is due to compete in the women’s single skating.
An IOC spokesman said: “The situation arose and came at short notice.
“It’s an emerging issue so I can’t add very much at the moment.
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“You can bet your bottom dollar that we are doing absolutely everything we can for this to be resolved as soon as possible.”
The Valieva situation is developing amid confirmation of a provisional doping suspension in the men’s alpine skiing event.
Iran’s Hossein Saveh-Shemshaki returned a sample with an ‘adverse analytical finding’ for a banned steroid.
The International Testing Agency said in a statement: “The athlete is prevented from competing, training, coaching, or participating in any activity, during the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022.
“The athlete has the right to challenge the imposition of the provisional suspension before the Court of Arbitration for Sport – Anti-Doping Division (CAS ADD). The athlete also has the right to request the analysis of the B-sample.”