Kamila Valieva: Anti-doping Case and Follow-ups

[nikros]

Kamila said, that her grandfather takes pills from his heart decease. She could share a glass of water with her grandfather. That is a possible way for the drug to be found in Kamila’s probe.

Drug cheat Russian figure skater, 15, breaks down in tears on the ice

The 15-year-old Russian tested positive last Christmas for the angina drug trimetazidine, or TMZ, which can be used by athletes to improve their performance - especially in endurance sports.

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[Mista Ekko]

Kamila said, that her grandfather takes pills from his heart decease. She could share a glass of water with her grandfather. That is a possible way for the drug to be found in Kamila’s probe.

Drug cheat Russian figure skater, 15, breaks down in tears on the ice

The 15-year-old Russian tested positive last Christmas for the angina drug trimetazidine, or TMZ, which can be used by athletes to improve their performance - especially in endurance sports.

www.dailymail.co.uk

Yes we've been poking holes in this since yesterday.

Anyone here from the UK btw? I hear bad things about The Daily Mail.

 

[Flutzel]

Personally, I have no way of knowing whether drugs are being given to Eteri skaters or not. But one thing I´m quite sure of: Eteri and her team does not consist of idiots. That is not the picture I have gotten from them, LOL. Valieva (and other skaters, too) has been clean in all her competitions including GP, 2022 Europeans and the Olympics, except at 2022 Russian Nationals. IF drugs are being used they have known exactly how to handle them without being detected at tests or they have not used them at all. This one time positive result is a mystery and I´m waiting for more info after the Olympics as the matter will be handled.

I think it's an error to think that you have to be an idiot getting caught doping, and it's also not unusual at all for doping to be revealed in this way. Most athletes only get caught doping after they've done so for a while (anyone remember how long it took to nail down Lance Armstrong?). A thousand things can also throw off the body's chemistry in such a way that a drug might not dissolve at the time it usually does. Of course you'd plan for that, but nobody can plan for everything, not even the best doping doctor. That's why it's actually a fairly common scenario that someone has doped for quite a while but only gets caught randomly after some years.

 

[4everchan]

I think it's an error to think that you have to be an idiot getting caught doping, and it's also not unusual at all for doping to be revealed in this way. Most athletes only get caught doping after they've done so for a while (anyone remember how long it took to nail down Lance Armstrong?). A thousand things can also throw off the body's chemistry in such a way that a drug might not dissolve at the time it usually does. Of course you'd plan for that, but nobody can plan for everything, not even the best doping doctor. That's why it's actually a fairly common scenario that someone has doped for quite a while but only gets caught randomly after some years.

 

[snowflake]

Personally, I have no way of knowing whether drugs are being given to Eteri skaters or not. I´m waiting for more info after the Olympics as the matter will be handled.

I'll wait too. Only fact for me is that Kamila's sample was positiv. I wish CAS hadn't let her skate.

How she got the drug into her body I can't know. Is it true that you can buy TMZ without a prescription? If so she could have gotten it from anybody.

 

[Vemvane]

Yes we've been poking holes in this since yesterday.

Anyone here from the UK btw? I hear bad things about The Daily Mail.

It's a tabloid, and not the most trustworthy of sources. One of the many, many British gossip rags, like The Sun, The Daily Mirror and The Daily Express, which are all varying degrees of sensationalist.

However, it's not alone in reporting this particular story, as other media outlets have been running with it too. The source appears to be documents allegedly leaked from Kamila's legal defence team, but I have no idea if that particular source is credible. If it is, I'm saddened by the media flouting the protection of privacy that should be afforded a minor, though can't say I'm particularly surprised by it in the Daily Mail's case.

 

[anonymoose_au]

About the use of grandpa´s glass: Actually I don´t find that so strange as it may sound to many. In my childhood and in teenage I saw something like to happen often in various families among family members... I did not like that habit as I was not used to it, but I sure noticed it. I could well imagine something like it to happen even in today´s Russia.

I hesitate to give this story credence. But the only thing I could think of was that Grandpa actually dissolved the pills in water and Kamila accidentally drank from the glass. But then you'd realise something was off immediately and wouldn't you seek medical attention if you accidentally took someone's heart medication? You'd certainly tell your coaches about it.

So the coaches would have had to tell her not to worry about it. Which is still incredibly negligent on their part.

 

[Mista Ekko]

I hesitate to give this story credence. But the only thing I could think of was that Grandpa actually dissolved the pills in water and Kamila accidentally drank from the glass. But then you'd realise something was off immediately and wouldn't you seek medical attention if you accidentally took someone's heart medication? You'd certainly tell your coaches about it.

So the coaches would have had to tell her not to worry about it. Which is still incredibly negligent on their part.

Which is exactly why they've been banning first and asking questions later if a banned substance is found,
as sucky as it is.

Also, if she did digest it by accident and actually felt it, or even have doubts about it, why would she just
keep it to herself and wait to see if it shows up in one of the many urine samples she gives each year?

 

[Idiote]

The thing that worries me the most for today is the press conference. Unless she totally implodes Kamila will probably be there... I'm afraid the journalists are going to eat her alive.

 

[anonymoose_au]

Which is exactly why they've been banning first and asking questions later if a banned substance is found,
as sucky as it is.

Also, if she did digest it by accident and actually felt it, or even have doubts about it, why would she just
keep it to herself and wait to see if it shows up in one of the many urine samples she gives each year?

For sure, she would have told her coaching team and they would then be required to report it (wouldn't they? Is it like mandatory reporting?) and at the very least they should. Honestly, I'd have a lot more respect if they had and I'm sure WADA and the IOC would have looked on it rather differently if they'd been notified immediately.

I could almost believe it...I once drank a glass of salt water that I was using as a gargle for a sore throat. But seriously if that did happen you'd tell everyone concerned and maybe even make a public statement. You'd be freaking out!

The thing that worries me the most for today is the press conference. Unless she totally implodes Kamila will probably be there... I'm afraid the journalists are going to eat her alive.

Indeed, and as someone mentioned earlier in the thread, people are starting to get antsy, at least in other places on the internet. There's a strong belief that if Kamila was truly blindsided by the whole thing she'd withdraw. And how will commentary work? I've actually realised that I need to go to bed before the last group (and possibly the fourth group too), but like...what can even the affable Olly and thoughtful Belinda say? Much less commentators like Johnny and Tara.

As someone who feels terrible for Kamila, I can't imagine what it would be like if everyone there stood up and turned their backs on her, or yelled "DOPER!" or whatever. The amount of failure on the behalf of the adults involved is mind-numbing.

 

[McBibus]

The thing that worries me the most for today is the press conference. Unless she totally implodes Kamila will probably be there... I'm afraid the journalists are going to eat her alive.

I really hope she avoids any press contact apart from the declaration she already gave.
If there are fines to pay the fed could cover

 

[Fanof]

From the CNN website (and you can find something similar on the RT website in English)

"IOC official: Kamila Valieva blames doping violation on a mix-up with her grandfather’s medication
Russian teen figure skating sensation Kamila Valieva has blamed her positive drug test on a mix-up with her grandfather’s medication, a top International Olympic Committee (IOC) official said Tuesday. “Her argument was that this contamination happened with a product her grandfather was taking,” said Denis Oswald, head of the IOC's Disciplinary Commission."

So it is officially her explanation. It'd better be true, or she will be a cheater and a liar as well.

 

[Jungle2]

No ceremony. No medal. No gala. No press-conference.

 

[EdgeCall]

The thing that worries me the most for today is the press conference. Unless she totally implodes Kamila will probably be there... I'm afraid the journalists are going to eat her alive.

She could probably somehow avoid being there, but she cannot avoid competing now. I am worried what a meltdown due to emotional exhaustion could do to her overall motivation to continue. It does not even matter if she is guilty of doping or not. We had to watch skaters break and never recover before. I pray we will not have to watch it today or on Thursday.

 

[anonymoose_au]

No ceremony. No medal. No gala. No press-conference.

For Kamila you mean? Because the Gala is still on as far as I know.

 

[Jungle2]

For Kamila you mean? Because the Gala is still on as far as I know.

yes, the Russian journalist who is now in China reported that there are discussions being held that Kamilla will not be invited to the gala if she medals. it will be illogical to expect she will come to a press conference

 

[Fanof]

I also believe that withdrawing on her own initiative (if nothing else, for the sake of Sasha and Anna) and going public with her explanation would be the best outcome for her public image and future international career. A medal at this event will only bring her misery.

Of course, if she is truly certain that she is clean and genuinely believes that there's been some horrible mistake, that'd be probably too much to ask from Kamila. But she will be hated and bullied in an unprecedented fashion. Already is: you can sense how the tone of discussion has changed after CAS decision. No one is saying "I feel so bad for Kamila but...". No one is saying "poor Kamila". As a matter of fact she is no longer referred to as "Kamila" but rather "Valieva" It's telling. Kamila is no longer seen as a victim, she's become an accomplice now, there's no more room for compassion and forgiveness. I shudder to think what awaits her if she wins a medal. This is so sad.

If she wins a medal, I suppose she can expect money and glory, not misery. Even she is stripped of it afterwards.
Her world was, is and will be Russia, nothing has changed. As for what is being said about her, I'm pretty sure she can't understand English
If she wins a medal and even if there is no victory ceremony, she will be awarded I don't know which Russian medal and prizes, she will be cheered at the airport when she flies back to Russia, she will be on TV studio sets... maybe even more so since she will be a victim. I'm not so much into gymnastics, but look at what happened with D. Averina, who finished at the second place at the Tokyo games, which the Russian team said was an unfair outcome (maybe true, maybe wrong, I'm not interested in gymnastics): based on what I read on the RT website, she was awarded the Russian medal and the prize for gold medalists once back in Russia...
KV is a product designed for the Russian market, nothing has changed.
Let me know when Puma Russia breaks their sponsorship contract with her, and I might change my mind.

 

[Draculus]

Relative to the bolded part, she could withdraw, sneak out of the bubble, take the subway over to a friendly western embassy--say the Australian, Canadian, or maybe Netherlands--and request asylum. This method was used with reasonable success back in the 1970's Soviet Union days.

And she will get the same training condition in those counties as she have right now?
There is literally 0 cases where ppl leave Eteri and have at least the same results, so I really doubt she will have a good career.

I'm always surprised how ppl easy on "just change country and coaches". There is a reason why Eteri has such huge success, it is not a coincidence. First it's money that state spend on skaters. And second is Eteri team with all their questionable methods.

 

[Magill]

My reasoning leads to your latest theory.
To give Kamila doping late in this season, once she did already established her dominance means it is a systematic team approach.
It's most probable usage (push further in traning) is also choerent with the team philosophy.
So I think it's widespread, unless of course it is Valieva Family affair, but i don't believe it really.

What it's stranfe and does not fit with an use during full traning and stop before competition is that the positiviti seems to be from the FS (if I got the dates right) and this means a big miscalculation of the off time.
Also if she's been tested after SP and got clean it would indeed be very strange and not choerent with a systematic usage both on her part alone or on the whole team.

It might also have been taken after SP, just past midnight. With many participants, I heard that sometimes they actually wait for hours until they get tested.

 

[Magill]

If she wins a medal, I suppose she can expect money and glory, not misery. Even she is stripped of it afterwards.
Her world was, is and will be Russia, nothing has changed. As for what is being said about her, I'm pretty sure she can't understand English
If she wins a medal and even if there is no victory ceremony, she will be awarded I don't know which Russian medal and prizes, she will be cheered at the airport when she flies back to Russia, she will be on TV studio sets... maybe even more so since she will be a victim. I'm not so much into gymnastics, but look at what happened with D. Averina, who finished at the second place at the Tokyo games, which the Russian team said it was an unfair outcome (maybe true, maybe wrong, I'm not interested in gymnastics): based on what I read on the RT website, she was awarded the Russian medal and the prize for gold medalists once back in Russia...
KV is a product designed for the Russian market, nothing has changed.
Let me know when Puma Russia breaks their sponsorship contract with her, and I might change my mind.

Actually Puma might go as it is a global branch and they need to care for their global image too. Some things are not decided in Moscow.