Bizarre! Russian skater Kamila Valieva blames 'strawberry desert' made by grandfather for failed dope test

By Ovaise Shariff | First Published Feb 9, 2024, 1:25 PM IST

Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva, facing a four-year ban after testing positive for trimetazidine, attributes her doping scandal to a strawberry dessert prepared by her grandfather on a pill-crushing board.

Russian skater Kamila Valieva, who received a four-year ban after testing positive for the prohibited medication trimetazidine, has attributed her failed drug test to a strawberry dessert prepared by her grandfather on a chopping board previously used for crushing pills. The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) report, released on Wednesday, outlined Valieva's claim that the drug might have entered her system through contaminated food consumed before the Russian Championships in 2021. She has also cited possible contamination by shared cutlery and a glass used by her grandfather, who was prescribed trimetazidine for an artificial heart.

Banned Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva has blamed her positive doping test on a strawberry dessert prepared by her grandfather on a chopping board he used to crush his pills https://t.co/wewx6tih7s

— Sky News (@SkyNews)

Trimetazidine, primarily used to treat angina, has been banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) since 2014 due to potential side effects like gait disorders and hallucinations. Valieva, now 17, gained international attention at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, making history as the first female skater to land a quadruple jump and securing team figure skating gold.

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Initially cleared of fault or negligence by a Russian Anti-Doping Agency investigation, WADA contested the decision at CAS. The Figure Skating Federation of Russia strongly disagrees with CAS's ruling. Valieva's competition results post her positive test have been nullified, leading to the reassignment of the Beijing team gold medal to the USA, and the ROC slipping to bronze without Valieva's contribution.

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