Reaction to teenage figure-skater Kamila Valieva’s doping hearing has been mixed, after the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled that the Russian could compete again at this year’s Winter Olympics. 

The 15-year-old tested positive for the banned substance trimetazidine in December, which is classed by WADA as a cardiac metabolic modular and has been shown to improve physical efficiency. 

Valieva was provisionally suspended on February 8th, but the Russian Anti-Doping Agency lifted the ban the next day. 

The International Olympic Committee subsequently launched an appeal, along with the World Anti-Doping Agency and the International Skating Union, challenging Russia’s decision to lift the provisional suspension. 

CAS has now turned down this challenge and ruled that the Russian’s “exceptional circumstances” mean she should not be provisionally suspended. 

The ruling stressed the late notification of the failed test was not Valieva’s fault and that: “The athlete should benefit from the following exceptional circumstances: She is under 16 and a protected person under the WADA code.” 

BEIJING, CHINA - FEBRUARY 07: Kamila Valieva of Team ROC skates during the Women Single Skating Free Skating Team Event on day three of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games at Capital Indoor Stadium on February 07, 2022 in Beijing, China. (Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)

It’s important to note that CAS’ ruling does not mean Valieva has been cleared of doping –– only that she’s been cleared to compete for now. After the Games, she will likely face a full doping hearing and may be stripped of any medals she wins. 

Nonetheless, the decision has sparked contrasting opinions. Many are outraged by CAS’ verdict, while others have emphasised there was little choice, given the situation. 

USA Today columnist Christine Brennan stressed how this is a backwards step in the battle to prevent doping offences and that this “awful decision” by CAS has plunged the Winter Olympics into chaos. 

“CAS decision: Kamila Valieva is allowed to compete. What a dark day this is for the fight against doping in sports,” she wrote on Twitter. 

Similarly, former Olympic figure skater Johnny Weir condemned the verdict and argued Valieva deserved to be punished, irrespective of the circumstances. 

“I can’t condone the decision. There was a positive drug test, therefore the athlete who tested positive, at fault or not, regardless of age or timing of test/result, should not be allowed to compete against clean athletes.”

Echoing this sentiment, the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee said the decision not to reinstate Valieva’s suspension marks “another chapter in the systematic and pervasive disregard for clean sport by Russia.” 

The IOC said in a statement that there will be no ceremony if Valieva wins a medal in the Women’s Single Skating competition and there will be no ceremony for the Russian Olympic Committee for their team event gold last week. 

“In the interest of fairness to all athletes and the NOCs concerned, it would not be appropriate to hold the medal ceremony for the figure skating team event during the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022 as it would include an athlete who on the one hand has a positive A-sample, but whose violation of the anti-doping rules has not yet been established on the other hand.

“Should Ms Valieva finish amongst the top three competitors in the Women’s Single Skating competition, no flower ceremony and no medal ceremony will take place during the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022.”

WADA also expressed their “disappointment” over the decision and exemplified that RUSADA’s choice to lift Valieva’s ban was not in line with the terms of their code. 

Meanwhile, the international athlete-led movement Global Athlete, outlined that this situation would never have arisen had Russia been banned for competing in the first place. They also stressed how sport should be “protecting its athletes” instead of damaging them. 

“Today is another example of the failures of the global sport and anti-doping system,” a statement read. 

“It is blatantly clear that Valieva would never have been placed in this position if the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) had done their jobs and banned Russia from global sport.”

Despite the widespread condemnation of CAS’ verdict, iPaper Sports Reporter James Gray explained why he thought the ruling was the right one. 

“Having had some time to process the Kamila Valieva ruling, it is the right one,” he said. “Given the circumstances, you could not ban her from the Olympic final with the possibility that she would later be cleared of wrongdoing.”

The Women’s Singles Skating Competition is scheduled for tomorrow, where Valieva is the heavy favourite to claim gold.