Russia urges scandal-plagued skater Kamila Valieva to 'go proudly and beat everyone'
- Kamila Valieva, the Russian skater who landed a quad jump in Beijing, is at the center of a doping scandal.
- The 15-year-old tested positive for a drug banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency as a "hormone and metabolic modulator."
Russia has urged teen figure skater Kamila Valieva — who is at the center of a doping scandal at the Beijing Winter Olympics — to go "beat everyone."
"Hold your head up, you're a Russian," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters in reference to 15-year-old Valieva.
Peskov added, "Go proudly and beat everyone" as the Kremlin described Valieva's case as a "misunderstanding."
Valieva made Olympic history on Monday when she became the first woman to land a quad jump.
The feat helped the Russian team win Olympic gold, but the result was immediately thrown in down as officials announced a "legal issue" would delay the medal ceremony.
On Friday, the International Testing Agency confirmed the teen had tested positive for the banned heart drug Trimetazidine in a urine sample collected by Russian authorities in late December. The World Anti-Doping Agency categorizes the medication, which is typically used to treat the effects of vertigo, as a "hormone and metabolic modulator," per the Associated Press.
Valieva was slapped with an immediate provisional suspension by Russia's anti-doping agency (RUSADA) after the positive test surfaced. However, following a swift appeal, the ban was overturned on February 9.
As of now, the Kazan, Russia, native is still free to compete in Beijing.
That could soon change, though. The International Olympic Committee has exercised its right to challenge that decision at the Court of Arbitration for Sport, the ITA said.
RUSADA is set to share its reasons for lifting Valieva's suspension soon, but the IOC will not wait until then to launch its challenge.
Valieva is set compete in the individual competition on February 15.