February 16, (THEWILL) – As the Kamila Valieva doping scandal rages on at the Winter Olympics, the President of the World Anti-Doping Agency has declared that those who dope minors are “evil”, “killers of clean sport” and should be imprisoned.
On Monday, the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled that the 15-year-old could compete in Beijing 2022, despite a positive test for a banned heart medication. Thereafter, Valieva returned to the ice on Tuesday and won the short programme in the women’s singles, putting her as the favourite for gold in Thursday’s free skate.
She had previously become the first woman to land a quad leap in the Olympics, assisting the Russian Olympic Committee achieve team gold just 48 hours before her positive test.
As THEWILL reported, the Chief Executive of Team USA, Sarah Hirshland, was among those to criticise the decision of the highest sports court, as she accused Russia of a “systematic disregard for clean sport.”
Now, the head of the sport’s highest anti-doping body has joined in the chorus of condemnation.
Witold Banka, the President of WADA, said: “We are very disappointed by the ruling of the CAS panel. It is a matter of concern that the panel decided not to apply the terms of the World Anti-Doping Code.
“So from our perspective this is another very controversial ruling, but of course we accept it. But speaking generally about the doping of children from my personal perspective and from WADA’s perspective is that its evil and unforgivable. I think that the people who are giving doping to children are killers of clean sport.
“So the doctors, coaches and other support personnel, who are found to have provided performance enhancing drugs to minors should definitely be banned for life.
“Personally I also think you should be imprisoned. Some countries in the world already criminalise the doping of children… I think this is very strong, but a very good solution.
“Speaking about this particular case, we demand that RUSADA conducts a strong investigation into the entourage behind the athlete in this case. And WADA will also look into that and make sure a proper investigation is carried out.”
The CAS panel that heard the case ruled that the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) was correct to lift Valieva’s provisional suspension. The verdict specifically addressed whether she could compete in the Games, with a subsequent decision on whether she violated doping laws to be made at a later date.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has already stated that there will be no medal ceremonies in Beijing for events in which Valieva finishes on the podium, pending the conclusion of the case.
The positive sample, which tested positive for the banned drug trimetazidine, was obtained on December 25 at the Russian National Championships, but the analysis from a WADA-accredited lab in Stockholm was only released last week.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
