Kamila Valieva: Anti-doping Case and Follow-ups

[Rebecca Moose]

instead of pot brownies, think I'm going to try an "enhanced" strawberry dessert tonight. thanks for the inspiration, grandpa v!

 

[Jumping_Bean]

l. As Dr Zholinsky explains, in light of (i) the need to take a course of TMZ to
achieve any effect, (ii) a long elimination period, and (iii) on 25 December 2021
the Athlete was in the testing pool and therefore subject to testing at any time,
“it is impossible that an athlete of this class would intentionally take
trimetazidine”

A lot of athletes of the same class as Kamila have taken drugs intentionally. Some out of stupidity (Sha'Carri Richardson's cannabis consumption shortly before US trials for example), some out of cockiness (those that refuse doping tests or switch samples all fall under this category). It's unfortunately not a strong defense, a lot of people do things that have been claimed to be "impossible".

 

[Moon322]

Thank you!

However the Doping control form is not the results of the test. The doping control form is just the formal paperwork that was signed by the test administrator and the athlete at the time of the sample collection. So it means these forms need to get from the test site to the lab and then entered into the system for them to be valid.

I.4.6 The Testing Authority or Sample Collection Authority shall report without delay intoADAMS:a) The Doping Control form, as per Article 4.9.1 b);b) The Athlete Biological Passport supplementary form, and/or the additionalinformation specific to the Athlete Biological Passport collected on a related reportform;c) In the Chain of Custody, the temperature data logger ID (without any timereference) and the time zone of the Testing location in GMT.


I think this provision is more in relation to how long the sample took to get from Russia to the Swedish lab

No, the same rule applies to the result of the test.

It is just a poor excuse that the lab was closed until 10 January when the Olympics began just a few weeks later.

If they had done their job properly without any delay Kamila would have WD before the Games and Russia would have got their gold medal in Beijing (and USA their silver, Japan their bronze). But it's clear the intention was to create a scandal during the Games.

 

[Rebecca Moose]

But it's clear the intention was to create a scandal during the Games.

 

[Jumping_Bean]

No, the same rule applies to the result of the test.

No, they don't. The test results are not even regulated by the same document. It's 20 days from delivery of the sample under normal circumstances, not 21 days from when the sample was taken (as transport would cut into those 21 days significantly).

It is just a poor excuse that the lab was closed until 10 January when the Olympics began just a few weeks later.

That's not the excuse/explanation, the issue with the test result quality is. You can't just establish a better protocol in a day, that's not how it works. The first positive test result for TMZ came on the 11th of January, 13 days after the laboratory received the sample. Normally, after one more aliquot taken to confirm the results on the next day, that would have been the end, and they would have finished the sample analysis after 2 weeks.

If they had done their job properly without any delay Kamila would have WD before the Games and Russia would have got their gold medal in Beijing (and USA their silver, Japan their bronze). But it's clear the intention was to create a scandal during the Games.

The samples are anonymised, the lab personnel have no idea whose tests they are handling, and that is for good reason.

 

[icewhite]

I don't know what I find most surprising or upsetting in this whole crazy story, there's so much.
But the document shows very well that the intention of the defense was NEVER to defend Kamila, because it was necessary to show that if it was not intentional she was not highly negligent - but that's exactly the picture that's painted of her, by everyone who should be defending her. The ones who got defended are the doctors and coaches.
And the story they came up with is not just extremely unbelievable because it relies on improbable events happening - it is also in itself filled with inconsistencies and total lack of any evidence, including the lack of contact data of the main character in this story. So of course not even a reduction towards a two year ban happened, because this very much looks like not only lack of proof of innocence but very deliberate fraud.

 

[Skating91]

The Athlete’s Evidence
397. The Athlete provided a witness statement and appeared before the Panel. It has to be
said that the Panel found her to be an honest, straightforward and credible witness and
her protestations of innocence believable. She is plainly an intelligent and articulate
young woman

 

[Skating91]

I think grandfather probably had enough of it and said I have given my statements I am not doing anymore. Sounds like there was some kind of falling out, they had gone with the grandfather theory because they obviously couldn't find the supplements that were contaminated, and couldn't prove sabotage without CCTV evidence. So stuck with it. Who knows if she took the dessert on the train, but if you don't have any other explanation (she likely has no idea how it came about) they decided to stick with this contaminated food theory.

From day one they shouldn't have tried to explain anything.

Why would you take 60 legal supplements over two years only to drop one that's a common over the counter drug but highly illegal into the mix to screw it all up. None of it makes sense. Who takes that kind of suicidal risk? I'm not even sure it actually works, unlike something like a steroid which has very clear performance benefits.

I'd like to know how many samples WADA's lab's come across where they need to spend 6 weeks testing 10 times until the come up with the acceptable result?

The report didn't really resolve anything, and it seems Eteri isn't guilty of wrongdoing just someone not prepared to stick her neck out for Kamila because there was nothing to gain from doing so only lose.

 

[gsk8]

Page 28:

There was no opportunity to interview the grandfather of the athlete Valieva K – Gennady Soloviev. His representatives refused to provide contacts and organise a face-to-face interview with him. G. Soloviev’s representative presented medical documents and answered the questions of the Investigations Department by e-mail. G. Soloviev did not provide any documentary evidence of the prescription of the drug "Trimetazidine” to him.

The question is why?

 

[Skating91]

Page 28:

There was no opportunity to interview the grandfather of the athlete Valieva K – Gennady Soloviev. His representatives refused to provide contacts and organise a face-to-face interview with him. G. Soloviev’s representative presented medical documents and answered the questions of the Investigations Department by e-mail. G. Soloviev did not provide any documentary evidence of the prescription of the drug Trimetazidine”
to him.

The question is why?

It is possible to buy it without prescription in Russia quite easily, although probably not supposed to so didn't want to implicate himself.

I think it's plausible he got dragged into February 2022 made a statement, made a statement May 2022, then as an old man with a bad heart whose son isn't even the partner of Kamila's mother anymore didn't want to be having to face panels in Switzerland explaining this kind of thing. People have their limit.

I'm sure the dessert story is BS, but if you are facing a 4 year ban and genuinely have no idea how the substance got into your system then you go with what you think is a possibility they will believe even if you don't believe it yourself. The WADA rules compel athletes to make up a story about drinking contaminated tap water or eating contaminated pork, or drinking consuming "fluids".

WADA wanted to get a trophy from these Olympics and they did it, but they are equating this trace amount of a common heart medication without proven efficacy for athletes with swapping samples and rampant steroid abuse in 2014. Steroids actually work. In 2014 they weren't pumping the athletes with a full dosage of TMZ to break records lol.

 

[DancingCactus]

This shall now forever be known as "Ms Marple and the mysterious case of the strawberry dessert."

I can't take this seriously anymore. If they were running with the Grandfather Explanation, why couldn't they produce any kind if physical evidence that he was taking TMZ and why wasn't he arsed to appear in front of the panel?
The migrating strawberry dessert is also fascinating.

 

[norwegianfairytale]

The most crazy thing about about this reading is that Kamila was taking around 60 medications and supplements over a 2 year period, already at the age of 14. All though they were legal it´s crazy they are propping children like this without knowing the long terms consequences. I´m furious how the coaching team can just get away with this.

 

[Alex Fedorov]

The most crazy thing about about this reading is that Kamila was taking around 60 medications and supplements over a 2 year period, already at the age of 14. All though they were legal it´s crazy they are propping children like this without knowing the long terms consequences. I´m furious how the coaching team can just get away with this.

Have you seen the list of these medications? These are mainly medicines for colds, nasal congestion, as well as mild painkillers, antipyretics and anti-inflammatory drugs (for example, aspirin with added vitamin C, nimesulide, etc.). The list also includes patches and gels for external application to the skin. There are also medications that are used for digestive disorders and supplements to increase iron levels in the blood. For unknown reasons, some medications (such as Hypoxene) are listed twice.

 

[pearly]

The document is truly an incredible read, highly recommended. If anyone happens to know the details of the dog story, please tag me and explain.

 

[midori green]

Page 28:

There was no opportunity to interview the grandfather of the athlete Valieva K – Gennady Soloviev. His representatives refused to provide contacts and organise a face-to-face interview with him. G. Soloviev’s representative presented medical documents and answered the questions of the Investigations Department by e-mail. G. Soloviev did not provide any documentary evidence of the prescription of the drug "Trimetazidine” to him.

The question is why?

I would be frantically searching credit card records or asking the pharmacy to search their records if I paid with cash and no longer had my receipt. Interesting the CAS analysis of the "Grandpa's strawberry dessert" excuse staring around page 109. Seems "grandpa" didn't try very hard to provide helpful evidence, and interesting that there are zero witnesses to the strawberry dessert that needed to be refrigerated on the train (teammate, train attendant, roommate). Either grandpa feels guilty for contaminating her food (but then, why not try to prove that's what happened), or grandpa doesn't want to lie. The panel seemed to think he should be healthy enough to be available remotely for the case. Regardless, CAS basically ruled that, even if that was what happened, Kamila was negligent in not reducing known risk of exposure to grandpa's meds (even if she and her mom didn't know exactly what they were).

 

[norwegianfairytale]

Have you seen the list of these medications? These are mainly medicines for colds, nasal congestion, as well as mild painkillers, antipyretics and anti-inflammatory drugs (for example, aspirin with added vitamin C, nimesulide, etc.). The list also includes patches and gels for external application to the skin. There are also medications that are used for digestive disorders and supplements to increase iron levels in the blood. For unknown reasons, some medications (such as Hypoxene) are listed twice.

Yes I read it and all though some things are common, other things all together is terrifying and seems unnecessary for a healthy 14 year old who is eating a balanced diet. Also digestions medicine etc. is sketchy to give a child.

 

[Baron Vladimir]

The most crazy thing about about this reading is that Kamila was taking around 60 medications and supplements over a 2 year period, already at the age of 14. All though they were legal it´s crazy they are propping children like this without knowing the long terms consequences. I´m furious how the coaching team can just get away with this.

I was taking a lot of that in only one year during the Corona outbreak to be fair. There is nothing wrong to take those supplements in the period of two years, especially if you are a worlds top athlete who needs to keep the form on daily bases and plus there is a deadly virus around you, who is ruining your immune system, potentially every time you go to train Medicine with which ADHD is treated and which athletes are using in order to compete can be much worse for general health than those supplements, for example...

 

[midori green]

h. She could not recall taking Ecdysterone. She could not explain why it was found
to be in her system by the Stockholm Laboratory. This is legal to take WADA are just monitoring it

Thanks for clarifying. I couldn't quite follow what that drug was or where it came into play. Maybe grandpa took that one, too?

 

[saine]

I don't know what I find most surprising or upsetting in this whole crazy story, there's so much.
But the document shows very well that the intention of the defense was NEVER to defend Kamila, because it was necessary to show that if it was not intentional she was not highly negligent - but that's exactly the picture that's painted of her, by everyone who should be defending her. The ones who got defended are the doctors and coaches.
And the story they came up with is not just extremely unbelievable because it relies on improbable events happening - it is also in itself filled with inconsistencies and total lack of any evidence, including the lack of contact data of the main character in this story. So of course not even a reduction towards a two year ban happened, because this very much looks like not only lack of proof of innocence but very deliberate fraud.

The only reason I can think of that they would go for their defense is that they thought that the worst that would happen on appeal would be the two year backdated ban without implicating the people around her. She can't compete internationally, so by the time the decision was given then it would be done.

It looks like the Grandfather story was chosen so that the results would fall under No Fault or Negligence on Kamila's part, which means the period of ineligibility can be reduced. That was what DADC decided when they made their ruling with the one day ban (page 43). Then the appeal comes and they can't prove that story actually happened. And since they can't prove that the ingestion wasn't intentional either, there's the four year ban.

 

[midori green]

The only reason I can think of that they would go for their defense is that they thought that the worst that would happen on appeal would be the two year backdated ban without implicating the people around her. She can't compete internationally, so by the time the decision was given then it would be done.

It looks like the Grandfather story was chosen so that the results would fall under No Fault or Negligence on Kamila's part, which means the period of ineligibility can be reduced. That was what DADC decided when they made their ruling with the one day ban (page 43). Then the appeal comes and they can't prove that story actually happened. And since they can't prove that the ingestion wasn't intentional either, there's the four year ban.

Then there's the distinction that DADC used the standard that her excuse was "the most likely to have happened of those given" vs the "more likely to have happened than to NOT have happened" that it was ruled should have been the standard.

(I'm on page 120, but I've found it to be a very interesting read.)