Russian Olympic Committee vows to defend 'honestly won' Olympic gold medal after Valieva fails drug test

• Russia's Olympic Committee said it vows to defend figure skater Kamila Valieva's "honestly won" gold medal.
• The ROC's statement comes after it was revealed that the 15-year-old failed a December drug test.

Russia's Olympic Committee is standing by its controversy-embroiled superstar.

The group insisted on Friday that the team figure skating gold medal was "honestly won" by ROC athletes despite figure skater Kamila Valieva's newly-surfaced failed drug test from December.

The ROC said in a statement it is "taking comprehensive measures to protect the rights and interests of the members of the ROC Team, and to keep the honestly won Olympic gold medal."

Valieva made history in Beijing as the first woman skater to land quadruple jumps at the Olympics. Her extraordinary feat helped power Russia to its gold medal victory in the team figure-skating competition. Now, that victory has come under fire.

The International Testing Authority announced on Thursday that Valieva tested positive in December for a banned substance. The World Anti-Doping Agency categorizes Trimetazidine — a heart medication typically used to treat the symptoms of vertigo — as a "hormone and metabolic modulator," per the Associated Press.

When taken without proper cause, the drug can help bolster endurance and improve circulation. Both effects could give a high-level figure skater a significant competitive advantage.

"Given that the athlete's positive doping test was not taken during the Olympic Games, the results of the athlete and the results of the team tournament during the Olympic Games are not subject to automatic review," the ROC's statement said.

Valieva was initially slapped with a provisional suspension from 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.

Meanwhile, the ROC said Valieva "has the right to train and take part in competitions in full without restriction" unless the CAS says otherwise.

Valieva is set compete in the individual competition on February 15.