Russian skater Kamila Valieva, 15, ‘had THREE different drugs in her system’ claim New York Times

The 15-year-old figure skater at the heart of a doping row at the Winter Olympics had three different substances in her system at the time she failed a drugs test last December, a bombshell report has claimed.  

In addition to testing positive for the banned angina drug trimetazidine, the New York Times report said the Stockholm laboratory that analysed Kamila Valieva’s sample also found evidence of two other heart medications that are not on the banned list: hypoxen and L-Carnitine.

The New York Times cited documents filed in Valieva’s recent arbitration hearing and confirmed by someone who took part in the hearing.

‘It’s a trifecta of substances – two of which are allowed, and one that is not allowed,’ United States Anti-Doping Agency Chief Executive Officer Travis Tygart said in the report.

Tygart added that the benefits of such a combination ‘seem to be aimed at increasing endurance, reducing fatigue and promoting greater efficiency in using oxygen.’

Sportsmail have reached out to the Russian Olympic Committee seeking comment. 

 

 

Valieva was cleared on Monday by the Court of Arbitration for Sport to continue competing at the Winter Olympics in Beijing.

The teenager tested positive at her national championships on December 25 but the result was not revealed until February 8, after she had already competed at the Beijing Games in the team event. 

The CAS panel, who highlighted that delay as one reason in the verdict, said that a suspension could cause the teenage ice skater ‘irreparable harm’ in the long run.  

They said: ‘The panel was concerned that if – after the completion of all procedures – she would not be sanctioned or would have a very low sanction, the provisional suspensions would have caused serious damage.’

It is understood that WADA privately dispute such an interpretation of their code. 

Valieva shrugged off her Olympic doping scandal to dominate the women’s competition on Tuesday with an emotional performance that put her ahead in the hunt for a gold medal that is unlikely to be awarded at this Games.

Earlier on Tuesday, an International Olympic Committee official said Valieva has argued that her positive drug test was caused by a mix-up with her grandfather’s heart medication. 

All eyes are on Valieva. She is so good that on Tuesday she produced the worst short programme score of her season and still glided to a decent lead for Thursday’s free skate.

 

Valieva breaks into tears as she skated off the ice to await her score in Beijing on Tuesday

Even with muddled footing off her triple axel, the teen known as ‘Miss Perfect’ was strong enough to rack up 82.16, putting her clear of her team-mate Anna Shcherbakova, 17, who put in close to the best performance of her life in taking 80.20. 

The teenager’s coach Eteri Tutberidze previously went on record to state the skater’s innocence. 

She said: ‘I want to say that I am absolutely sure that Kamila is innocent and clean. 

‘For us, this is not a theorem, but an axiom, it does not need to be proved. We are with our athletes, in trouble and in joy, to the end.’

She added: ‘It is very unclear why an athlete with a dubious doping test on December 25 was admitted to the Olympic Games. Either this is a fatal coincidence, or this is a very competent plan. 

‘I really hope that our leaders will not abandon us, defend our rights and prove our innocence.’