People who dope child athletes are 'evil' and belong in prison says world doping boss amid Kamila Valieva scandal

• The president of the world doping authority says doping child athletes is "evil and unforgivable."
• Witold Banka's comments come amid the ongoing investigation into Russian skater Kamila Valieva.

Amid the ongoing doping investigation into 15-year-old Russian skater Kamila Valieva, the president of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has said those who give underage athletes performance enhancing drugs are "evil" and belong in prison.

The International Testing Agency (ITA) revealed last Friday that Valieva had tested positive for the banned substance trimetazidine – a drug used to treat angina that has also been proven to improve endurance – while competing at the Russian national championships in Saint Petersburg last year.

The teenager was cleared to continue competing at the Beijing Winter Olympics by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), however, an investigation into the circumstances surrounding her positive test is ongoing, with the outcome to be decided at a hearing at an unspecified later date.

Valieva's lawyers have claimed that her failed test was the result of a mix-up with her grandfather's medicine, but as of now the circumstances surrounding it remain unclear.

Speaking to Eurosport about CAS' decision to continue to allow Valieva to compete in Beijing, WADA president Witold Banka 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."

Banka went on to comment generally on the issue of child doping in sport.

"The doping of children from my personal perspective and from WADA's perspective is that its evil and unforgivable," he said.

"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."

It is currently unclear if Valieva was deliberately doped, and if so, by whom.

Valieva produced a stunning performance to help the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) finish first in last week's team event final, landing a historic quadruple jump – a trick never before landed at the games.

However, amid doping allegations against her, the medal ceremony was postponed.

When those allegations were revealed to be true by the ITF, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) confirmed that that no medal ceremonies would be held for any events in which the teenager placed or places in the top three until her case was resolved.

Valieva was on course for a top three finish in the women's singles figure skating competition as she led going into the final event on Thursday.

However, a series of devastating trips and falls in the free skate that were penalized by the judges saw her finish just outside the medals in fourth place.

ROC duo Anna Shcherbakova and Alexandra Trusova, both 17, won gold and silver respectively, while Japans's Kaori Sakamoto claimed bronze.