Russia must pull out over scandal, says IOC’s Pound
By Riath Al-Samarrai
THE Russian skating phenomenon in the eye of a doping scandal, Kamila Valieva, will find out tomorrow if she can continue competing at the Winter Olympics.
On a day when the International Olympic Committee faced calls from within to impose a total Games ban on Russia after its latest drugs woes, it was confirmed that the Court of Arbitration for Sport will meet today to discuss the case of 15-year-old starlet Valieva.
It emerged this week that she tested positive last Christmas for the banned substance trimetazidine — a violation that came to light the day after she was the star performer as Russia won gold in the team discipline on Monday.
With Valieva the heavy favourite for individual gold on Tuesday, she will have to wait until the last moment to know if she can compete, with the IOC, the International Skating Union and the World Anti-Doping Agency appealing to CAS to reinstate a suspension. Valieva’s controversial coach Eteri Tutberidze said: ‘I want to say that I am absolutely sure that Kamila is innocent and clean. For us, this is not a theorem, but an axiom, it does not need to be proved. We are with our athletes, in trouble and in joy, to the end.’
The coach added: ‘It is very unclear why an athlete with a dubious doping test on December 25 was admitted to the Olympic Games. Either this is a fatal coincidence, or this is a very competent plan. I really hope that our leaders will not abandon us, defend our rights and prove our innocence.’
Tutberidze, as part of the team around Valieva, could come under scrutiny, after the IOC said it would welcome an anti-doping investigation into the ‘entourage’ who look after Valieva.
Meanwhile, Dick Pound, a long-standing member of the IOC, wants to see Russia put in ‘timeout’ after this latest scandal, which comes after state-sponsored doping was uncovered in the wake of the Sochi 2014 Games.
Pound said: ‘At a certain point, if they are absolutely incorrigible, you end up with the position of taking a country timeout.
‘We could say we can help you. You’ve got a problem. We can concentrate on it. Take a time out for one or two, or three Olympic Games until you get this under control.’