Kamila Valieva: Anti-doping Case and Follow-ups

[Mirunna]

Reading Eteri’s statement rubbed me the wrong way. Interesting choise of words. What I am reading is that basically she says she trusts Kamila - meaning if tests will eventually prove doping her team may play the shocked/inocent card. We shal see.

 

[flanker]

I am not conducting a witch hunt. All I am saying comes from watching documentaries about doping in which WADA explains how behind they are always : there are new drugs, new dosage, new ways to cheat testing etc... and though they are always researching to get ahead, as soon as they make headways, the people who cheat find new ways to cheat. So you will forgive me if I make this comment. One positive test is one too many.

It doesn't make any difference. You decided your attitude already whatever the result will be (and plenty of others with you). OK, that's your right. But any conversation then just brings back the same.

 

[Sjs5572]

IIRC, skaters from Russia have said that the testers can appear any time, while you are on vacation or dining out. Probably the Russian athletes are more scrutinised after Sochi and because of the ladies consistently winning.

Also, the medalists are always tested, so despite her age, Kamila must have undergone quite a lot of testing in juniors and seniors, because she always wins.

They can, but due to WADA financial problems, they don't.

 

[4everchan]

It doesn't make any difference. You decided your attitude already whatever the result will be (and plenty of others with you). OK, that's your right. But any conversation then just brings back the same.

Honestly, I have been going through a lot of different moods since the news broke down.
I would summarize it this way : I am worried for the sport I love.

Some journalists in Canada have suggested the IOC should ban figure skating from the Olympics because the ISU just cannot avoid scandal. Of course, I don't believe this will happen, but it does say a lot about the perception of the sport.

 

[brakes]

If Kamila is innocent and Eteri is innocent and everybody else is innocent, then we're left with magic and conspiracy:
- trimetazidine magically appeared in Kamila's body (what evil creature was casting the spell?) or
- some evil, anti-Russian conspirator replaced/falsified her doping test.

Seriously...

 

[Mista Ekko]

And if it gets proven that she is innocent I will feel very sorry for her as this time must have been awful for her and surely will affect her skating at the competition .

I don't know how it might be proven she is innocent, but even if she is proven innocent the
substance was in her system less than a couple months ago, so that's enough to have her
not competing here anyway, if that is what they decide.

 

[flanker]

Honestly, I have been going through a lot of different moods since the news broke down.
I would summarize it this way : I am worried for the sport I love.

Some journalists in Canada have suggested the IOC should ban figure skating from the Olympics because the ISU just cannot avoid scandal. Of course, I don't believe this will happen, but it does say a lot about the sport.

OK, thank you for this comment, this makes it much more understandable (and respectable) than previously.

 

[Mista Ekko]

If the attitude is "there are only those who were catched and those who weren't catched yet" then I'm afraid there is nothing to talk about.

Can you elaborate on that? I mean, do you think it's wrong for investigative minds to question wether this is an isolated incident given all of the variables in this equation?

 

[zanadude]

If Kamila is innocent and Eteri is innocent and everybody else is innocent, then we're left with magic and conspiracy:
- trimetazidine magically appeared in Kamila's body (what evil creature was casting the spell?) or
- some evil, anti-Russian conspirator replaced/falsified her doping test.

Seriously...

If everyone is innocent, then the evil, anti-Russian conspirator is also innocent.

But it doesn't have to be "magic" either. Quantum physics tells us that particles can pop in and out of existance. Perhaps they did so within the sample in a perfect C14H22N2O3 configuration right as the test was being conducted?

 

[*~RussianBleux~*]

It doesn't make any difference. You decided your attitude already whatever the result will be (and plenty of others with you). OK, that's your right. But any conversation then just brings back the same.

I see no common ground with anyone who defends this group to the death. I’ve defending Eteri plenty of times in the past, but the evidence at this point is pretty damning when you consider everything together. All the little hints and whispers of improper methods and injuries. I just wanted so badly to believe it was “haters” and an overreaction but I’m done. I’ve seen enough and I don’t think that’s unreasonable.

 

[Jaana]

I don't know how it might be proven she is innocent, but even if she is proven innocent the
substance was in her system less than a couple months ago, so that's enough to have her
not competing here anyway, if that is what they decide.

Yeah, but I have understood that it has also been mentioned that some headache medicine could give a false positive result temporarily? And in her case it has been temporary.

 

[flanker]

If Kamila is innocent and Eteri is innocent and everybody else is innocent, then we're left with magic and conspiracy:
- trimetazidine magically appeared in Kamila's body (what evil creature was casting the spell?) or
- some evil, anti-Russian conspirator replaced/falsified her doping test.

Seriously...

There is a real precedent. If it was accepted that Nadezhda Sergeeva's test failure was caused by a contamined product and Jessica Calalang was cleared because it was accepted that her test failure was because of cosmetics, then why precisely in this case (where it doesn't make any sense at all for anyone who is following Kami for years) is ther only acceptable explanation she is a doper/was forced to become a doper by the people around.

 

[Mista Ekko]

Yeah, but I have understood that it has also been mentioned that some headache medicine could give a false positive result?

I have no idea about anything like that, but if that's so then this specific medication should come with a warning
that top athletes would be aware of, just like athletes might avoid poppy seeds for example.

And even if they weren't aware of this and she has been taking that medication for headaches,
there isn't reasonable doubt to allow turning a blind eye to this, as they'll argue they just as easily
could've given her this headache medication to have a way out if they ever caught this substance in tests,

so she could be completely let off the hook, but still not be able to compete here,
or keep her recent results.

 

[brakes]

There is a real precedent. If it was accepted that Nadezhda Sergeeva's test failure was caused by a contamined product and Jessica Calalang was cleared because it was accepted that her test failure was because of cosmetics, then why precisely in this case (where it doesn't make any sense at all for anyone who is following Kami for years) is ther only acceptable explanation she is a doper/was forced to become a doper by the people around.

There was also a case of male athlete claiming the prohibited substance came from kissing the prostitute night before and female athlete claiming testosterone coming from ekhem... fluid she received from her partner during sex. Both proclaimed innocent, I'm not making it up.

Is this the sport realm you want Anya to participate in?

 

[CrazyKittenLady]

Russian media is reporting that Ermolina, the RusFed press attachee, said a decision on whether Kamila will skate will be made public by 6pm Moscow time today.

https://m.sports.ru/figure-skating/...alievu-do-lichnogo-turnira-ili-net-resha.html

 

[Jaana]

I have no idea about anything like that, but if that's so than this specific medication should come with a warning
that top athletes would be aware of, just like athletes might avoid poppy seeds for example.

And even if they weren't aware of this and she has been taking that medication for headaches,
there isn't reasonable doubt to allow turning a blind eye to this, as they'll argue they just as easily
could've given her this headache medication to have a way out if they ever caught this substance in tests.

That headache medicine was mentioned as not forbidden.

 

[*~RussianBleux~*]

So regarding Jessica Calalang, my understanding is that she wasn’t cleared because it was a cosmetic. She was cleared because the substance was ultimately removed from the banned list. There was already a process under way to remove this drug from the list before she was suspended and she became part of the process in while fighting to be cleared. Once the decision was made to remove then she was no longer suspended. But had this substance remained banned then it was irrelevant that it was in make-up and that she didn’t know. She was considered to be fully responsible and would have served her entire suspension.

Am I wrong?

 

[Mista Ekko]

That headache medicine was mentioned as not forbidden.

Poppy seeds aren't forbidden either, I'm saying that as far as being able to actually compete here
or keep her recent results it wouldn't make a difference.

She could be completely cleared of any charges and so could her team (as they would possibly be then ones
charged due to her being a minor), but they can't be "proven innocent", not fully imo.

 

[flanker]

There was also a case of male athlete claiming the prohibited substance came from kissing the prostitute night before and female athlete claiming testosterone coming from ekhem... fluid she received from her partner during sex. Both proclaimed innocent, I'm not making it up.

Is this the sport realm you want Anya to participate in?

I heard about the cases you mentioned. But I don't understand the question. Does that express your meaning about the sport (or this particular sport) as a whole?

Anya is doing the sport she likes. yes, it puts the athlete into the dangerous field, but seriously you are in a dangerous field whenever you get on top of something. You see it in ballet, art, politics, among top managers and big guns. The only way how to be secured from that is not to excel in anything.

 

[flanker]

So regarding Jessica Calalang, my understanding is that she wasn’t cleared because it was a cosmetic. She was cleared because the substance was ultimately removed from the banned list. There was already a process under way to remove this drug from the list before she was suspended and she became part of the process in while fighting to be cleared. Once the decision was made to remove then she was no longer suspended. But had this substance remained banned then it was irrelevant that it was in make-up and that she didn’t know. She was considered to be fully responsible and would have served her entire suspension.

Am I wrong?

US pairs skater Calalang cleared of drug violation

In elite figure skating, makeup can be as important a tool as a boot and blade. It also can sideline an Olympic contender.

apnews.com

In early summer, UFC fighter Rob Font, who fought in May, had his ban dismissed when USADA found that chlorphenesin, a non-prohibited cosmetic preservative found in shampoos and lotions, can also metabolize into 4-CPA. Calalang had been using similar products...

So it wasn't the case, it was because there are substances that create the same metabolites. Which is also the case of trimetazidine BTW, there are other substances that can cause positive test.