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A32 sports
Diasabra 12 Februari 2022

Doping hearing to decide Russian skater’s Olympic fate

at the national championships. On everybody concerned, not least the
The ITA confirmed reports that Va- Wednesday, a RUSADA disciplinary 15-year-old athlete that’s concerned,
lieva tested positive for the banned panel upheld her appeal and over- that we have due process, that it’s
substance trimetazidine at the Rus- turned the skater’s interim ban. seen to be done properly and that
sian national championships in St. people can have confidence in the de-
Petersburg six weeks ago. The rushed hearing at CAS will only cisions that are taken.”
consider the question of the provi-
The positive test was flagged by a sional ban at these Olympics, said the Valieva will likely be stripped of her
laboratory in Sweden only on Tues- International Testing Agency, which Russian national title from Decem-
day — the day after Valieva helped the is prosecuting on behalf of the IOC. ber.
Russians win the team event and just The ITA was formed by the IOC in
hours before the medal ceremony, 2018 in the wake of the Russian dop- The Russian Olympic Committee
which was then postponed. Whether ing scandal to manage international said it would defend Valieva and fight
the Russians will lose that gold medal testing and to design the anti-doping to keep the team event gold she con-
(AP) — Russian figure skater Ka- will be decided later. program for the Olympics. tributed to. It added that a doping test
mila Valieva’s right to compete Valieva took while at the Olympics
in the women’s event at the Bei- The Russian anti-doping agency said “The IOC will exercise its right to came back clean. All medalists are
jing Olympics will be decided at it was told the delay was caused by the appeal and not to wait for the rea- tested at the Olympics.
an urgent hearing at the Court of coronavirus, with lab staff in Sweden soned decision by RUSADA, because
Arbitration for Sport. having been either ill or in isolation. a decision is needed before the next Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov
The agency, known as RUSADA, competition the athlete is due to take was vocal in calling for support for
Both the World Anti-Doping Agency added that it was also investigating part in,” the testing agency said. Valieva.
and the International Testing Agency Valieva’s entourage “to identify all the
— on behalf of the IOC — said Fri- circumstances involved in a possible As a 15-year-old, Valieva has pro- “We’re waiting for the proceedings
day they would fight the decision by breach of anti-doping rules.” tections in the World Anti-Doping to end. And infinitely, absolutely in-
Russia’s anti-doping agency to allow Code. Under the guidelines, she finitely, and completely and in any
the 15-year-old Valieva to skate. The It also said it was first told of the could ultimately receive just a simple case we are supporting our Kamila
Russian agency provisionally banned positive result by lab on Monday, not reprimand. Valieva,” he told reporters Friday.
Valieva on Tuesday because she failed Tuesday, as reported by the ITA.
a doping test in December. After When a minor is implicated in dop- “And we call on everyone to support
an appeal, the agency lifted the ban The hospital that oversees the Swed- ing rules violations, the rules say her her. And we say to Kamila: ’Kamila,
Wednesday. ish lab said in an emailed statement entourage, such as coaches and team do not hide your face, you are a Rus-
that “the laboratory is not allowed in doctors, must be investigated, too. sian woman, walk proudly every-
Valieva is the heavy favorite in her any way to comment on a pending That isn’t typically the case for ath- where and most of all, compete and
event, which begins Tuesday. She case,” when asked by The Associated letes 18 and over. win against everyone.”
set world record scores this season Press to explain the weekslong delay
and landed the first quad jump by a in testing the sample. It is not clear “Such cases are not helpful to the For the second straight day, Valieva
woman at an Olympics as the Russian when Russian anti-doping officials Games,” IOC spokesman Mark Ad- worked out early at the main rink
athletes competing as ROC, short for sent the sample or when it arrived at ams said. “These cases need to be inside Capital Indoor Stadium as if
Russian Olympic Committee, won the lab. prosecuted properly, taken care of nothing was amiss. She was flanked
the team event. The ROC said it will properly and due process needs to be by Russian teammates Alexandra
fight to keep that gold medal, and Va- Valieva was hit with an immediate in- gone through. Otherwise I think the Trusova and world champion Anna
lieva has passionate support from the terim ban from the Beijing Olympics confidence of people would be even Shcherbakova, both of whom are also
Kremlin. by RUSADA, which oversaw testing less. So I think it’s very important for coached by Eteri Tutberidze.

Exam finds no definitive cause of Medina Spirit’s death

(AP) — A necropsy on cardiac cause of death.” The report said no other idence of abnormalities. view of the necropsy report,
2021 Kentucky Derby win- drugs, heavy metals or toxi- which will be done by Dr.
ner Medina Spirit showed Medina Spirit’s Kentucky cants were detected. Liver tissue was tested for Alina Vale. A safety steward
no definitive cause of Derby victory last May came heavy metals, anticoagulants, and a member of the board of
death. under scrutiny after he tested The necropsy included gross pesticides, environmental stewards will also participate
positive for betamethasone, examination of the body and contaminants, drugs, and in the review.
The California Horse Rac- a legal medication that is not internal organs, and speci- other products. Blood and
ing Board on Friday released allowed on race day in Ken- men collection for micro- urine samples were screened Any potential rule violations
the results of the examination tucky. scopic examination, toxicol- for the presence of hundreds uncovered in the review pro-
done after the colt collapsed ogy, drug testing, and genetic of substances, both legal cess will be investigated by
and died after a workout on As a result, Baffert was sus- testing, with specimens also medications and prohibited the CHRB and would result
Dec. 6 at Santa Anita. pended by Churchill Downs stored for possible future drugs, including erythropoi- in a complaint and possible
and barred from entering testing. etin (EPO), clenbuterol, and disciplinary action.
Trainer Bob Baffert said the horses in the 2022 and 2023 betamethasone.
colt suffered a heart attack. Kentucky Derbies. He also After the examination was
Medina Spirit had just com- was banned by the New York completed, Medina Spirit Next comes a required re-
pleted five furlongs in his Racing Association from en- was cremated, the CHRB
second workout since finish- tering horses at its Belmont, said.
ing second in the Breeders’ Saratoga and Aqueduct
Cup Classic in November. tracks. During the necropsy, the
horse was examined for obvi-
The necropsy report said Me- The necropsy on Medina ous causes of death and visu-
dina Spirit’s swollen lungs Spirit found the anti-ulcer ally apparent abnormalities.
and foam in his windpipe, as medication omeprazole and Tissue samples were collect-
well as enlarged spleen and the diuretic Lasix in blood ed from the heart, lungs, liv-
congestions and mild hem- and urine samples consistent er, spleen, kidney, stomach,
orrhages in other tissues “are with the medication report intestines, muscle, brain, spi-
common in horses dying filed with CHRB by the at- nal cord, testicles, and other
suddenly, and are compatible tending veterinarian. glands, and were examined
with, but not specific for a under the microscope for ev-