Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva is back on the ice in her home country after serving a four-year doping ban. The 19-year-old Russian skater made her return to competitive skating at the Russian Skate Jumping Championship in Moscow, where she finished fourth in the individual category and advanced to the second day of competition.
Valieva expressed her love for the sport and her happiness to be back competing, despite missing out on her chance to compete at the upcoming Winter Olympics. The event is set to take place next month in Italy but Valieva will have to wait until 2030 to make an Olympic comeback after serving her ban.
The news came as a relief to fans who had been waiting for her return, and supporters even unfurled banners that read "We waited" while cheering on their favourite skater. The crowd showed its love and support by throwing soft toys onto the ice during her performance.
Valieva's doping ban was announced last January after she tested positive for heart medication trimetazidine, a substance classified as a performance-enhancing drug. An investigation revealed that she had no fault or negligence in the case, but the Court of Arbitration for Sport upheld an appeal by the World Anti-Doping Agency and stripped her of her medal.
The skater attributed her positive test result to a strawberry dessert prepared by her grandfather on the same chopping board he used to crush his heart pills. However, the Court of Arbitration for Sport did not accept this explanation and called for adult coaches and support staff involved in doping cases to face sporting sanctions as well as criminal charges.
Valieva's case has raised concerns about child doping in sports, with the World Anti-Doping Agency warning that it is "unforgivable". The Russian government criticized the ruling as "politicised", but the skater is now back on the ice and hoping for a successful comeback.
Valieva expressed her love for the sport and her happiness to be back competing, despite missing out on her chance to compete at the upcoming Winter Olympics. The event is set to take place next month in Italy but Valieva will have to wait until 2030 to make an Olympic comeback after serving her ban.
The news came as a relief to fans who had been waiting for her return, and supporters even unfurled banners that read "We waited" while cheering on their favourite skater. The crowd showed its love and support by throwing soft toys onto the ice during her performance.
Valieva's doping ban was announced last January after she tested positive for heart medication trimetazidine, a substance classified as a performance-enhancing drug. An investigation revealed that she had no fault or negligence in the case, but the Court of Arbitration for Sport upheld an appeal by the World Anti-Doping Agency and stripped her of her medal.
The skater attributed her positive test result to a strawberry dessert prepared by her grandfather on the same chopping board he used to crush his heart pills. However, the Court of Arbitration for Sport did not accept this explanation and called for adult coaches and support staff involved in doping cases to face sporting sanctions as well as criminal charges.
Valieva's case has raised concerns about child doping in sports, with the World Anti-Doping Agency warning that it is "unforgivable". The Russian government criticized the ruling as "politicised", but the skater is now back on the ice and hoping for a successful comeback.
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OMG I'm so happy to hear Kamila Valieva is back on the ice 
! She's been through so much drama with that doping ban 
, but it's awesome she's still passionate about skating 
. The crowd was super supportive and creative with those soft toys 
, I love it! 
But seriously, this case has brought up some tough questions about child doping in sports 
... what if they're not even aware of the consequences? 
We need to make sure kids are protected 
. Fingers crossed for Kamila's comeback and hoping she can use her platform to raise awareness 
, its good to see fans are super supportive throwing soft toys onto the ice 
, shows how much love they have for her, but still kinda sad she won't get to compete at the Winter Olympics next month 
, feels like she's been through so much already, hope she can make a successful comeback in 2030 
. I feel bad for her, she's such a talented skater and to be stripped of her medal like that is harsh 
. At the same time, I get why they had to take action - doping is a huge deal in sports and it can't be taken lightly 
. The fact that her grandpa used the same chopping board for his heart meds and then she ate from it too... yeah, that's just crazy 
. But it's also got everyone talking about child doping in sports, which is super worrying 
. Maybe this whole thing will lead to some changes that'll keep kids safe? Fingers crossed 
.
I'm not surprised she's getting back to skating after her ban - sports is all about perseverance, right? 
But gotta say, that strawberry story 
, she's been through so much drama with that doping ban and all 
i feel bad for her fans who had to wait until 2030 for her to compete at the olympics 
it's crazy how that one positive test result could make such a big impact on her career 
but i guess it's all water under the bridge now 
she seems happy and focused, which is awesome 
she's finally back on the ice!! i was so worried about her after that whole doping scandal 
. fans are super supportive, love how they showed their love with soft toys on the ice 
. It's like the universe is playing a cruel joke on her 
. I do hope she gets to enjoy some success and happiness in competitive skating, though - she seems like an amazing skater! 
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. According to the International Skating Union (ISU), Russian figure skaters have won a total of 12 Olympic gold medals since 2010, which is like, a lot! 
, I'm sure she'll bounce back strong and bring home those Olympic medals for Russia by 2030 
what did u think about her story with the strawberry dessert tho? 
. I mean, she was just a teenager when this whole thing went down and now she has to deal with the consequences of her family members' actions 
.
, but at the same time, it's sad that she missed out on the Olympics due to circumstances beyond her control. Her story with the strawberry dessert is pretty wild too 
. One thing for sure, though: fans are eagerly awaiting her comeback 
. I was getting worried that we'd never see her on the ice again after that whole doping drama 
.
. I know she was robbed of her medal and all 
!
maybe she'll make a comeback in 2030 lol 4 yrs feels like forever 
, but it's not exactly believable that no one noticed her taking meds for her grandma 
, and it's cool to see the fans showing their love and support 
i feel bad 4 her, shes clearly passionate about figure skating & wants 2 b back on the ice ASAP 
. soft toys on the ice are kinda cute though