What's really going on with the Russian Ice Dancer, Kamila Valieva?

[SuperSange]

She apparently failed a drug test, sample taken on Dec 25th, and the results weren't reported until Tuesday. She's had several negative tests since, but why wait until now to report? Someone is up to something, but I can't find out what. I'd like to think they'd not be stupid enough to be doping (hence the ROC team as Russia were banned), so it's stinking of fish to me. Added to which, she's only 15, so are her coaches her guardians or something?

I read that the results have been delayed due to Covid.

When it comes to Russia, and doping, anything is possible. Agree that something isn't right though.

I read that she had the failed the test in December but that the Russian anti doping agency lifted her suspension allowing her to compete. She has competed between the negative test and the Olympics. Surely the IOC and world doping people must have been aware that this had happened? It doesn't seem gonna be been an issue until she landed the quad and ROC got the team medal. Maybe another country complained.

At 15 though, I hope people recognise that if anything dodgy is going on it shouldn't be seen as her fault. There's a BBC3 doc about UK skaters at the moment where one of the skaters talking about his past coach calling him an offensive term and, when he finally snapped, the coach punched him in the stomach. Not saying her coaches are like that but it is a sport that still has unhealthy coaching dynamics in some quarters and you could easily be too afraid to speak up as a child.

From what I've seen (Sister quite into figure skating so has posted a bit online but I haven't really looked into it any more) her coach is very controversial and it probably wouldn't surprise too many people if it turns out she's the one behind it. It sounds like her skaters are seen to be disposable, are pushed incredibly hard at very young ages and by 18 are too burned out or badly injured to continue competing. If that's the truth to it, I feel really sorry for Valieva! And the rest of the skaters she works with. They succeed but at what cost?

I see her as an abused kid. It’s sad what they go through so coaches get success. A journalist has received threats for speaking out about it, sadly behind a paywall so I can’t read it.

She's a victim and I feel very sorry for her. She's also part of a much wider problem that desperately needs addressing. Russia farms skaters, much as China farms gymnasts (and they're not the only countries who do it, just the most egregious and well-known).

It's got to the point where I feel uncomfortable watching figure skating and gymnastics now, because I feel I'm buying into abuse and dishonesty.

@terrywynne her coach is famous for forcing the kids to train so hard they end up burnt out by 18, forced onto drugs to delay puberty, no doubt a severe diet (her last ‘star’ had to quit due to anorexia). There’s so much abuse in sport, it’s coming out that it’s happening in the uk, the Downie sisters have been very vocal about it, the abuse by coaches also lead to all the American gymnast girls being sexually abused, the coaches were so harsh it left them vulnerable to a man stepping in being ‘kind’ (broke my heart that one of the ‘kind’ things he did was slip the kids extra food on the residential training as they were allowed so little food). If this happens in the uk and America we can only begin to imagine what it’s like in places like russia

Obvs something fishy has gone on but she’s only 15 so not her fault.
The pressure on the poor girl must be immense.

@sadpapercourtesan I’m feeling the same. We hear about the horrors from the gymnasts from the 70/80’s/early 90’s but it horrifies me that it still goes on. I remember watching the diving and a young diver (just a kid) had no idea her grandfather had died months early and her mum had been going through cancer treatment as contact was restricted and they worried knowing what was happening would effect her diving.

Some good books and programs for anyone wanting to learn more
Athlete A (a lot is about the sexual abuse and how it was allowed to happen)
At the heart of gold

I’ve not read it but little girls in pretty boxes is meant to be good

I assume there will be safeguarding concerns because she is a minor. If she has doped, I hope she is treated as a victim rather than an offender.

She been busted for taking a heart medication. She hasn't got a heart condition the drug increases blood flow. Sharapova got busted for a similar thing. It's international sport and drug taking is rife. Russia doesn't care.

State sponsored doping. She is being abused. Awful for her, she is just 15.

I think it's highly unlikely that any team at the Olympics is entirely clean and I'd be amazed if ROC is. The athletes are so closely managed that it's likely to be the coaches' actions rather than the althete's IMO.

It's quite common for results from a previous competition to come to light during another one.

She trains at a school that is a conveyor belt of underweight teenagers who are either injured or retired by 17 because they technique they are taught doesn’t work after puberty. She’s a wonderful skater but the adults around her are deplorable. I love figure skating but the women’s discipline is absolutely rotten these days, so I won’t be watching that event. The failed doping test is the tip of a really shitty iceberg I’m afraid.

One way to counter some of this exploitation would be to raise the age at which people can compete in international competition. We saw her winning performance the other day and I remarked how slender she was, not knowing the background.

She's only 15 and she's been exploited

Bloody hell, I didn't know skating was such a messed up discipline! Re the abusive training. That's terrible.

I saw her win last weekend and thought her skating was utterly amazing to watch - there was something almost enchanted about the movement. I just thought she was incredibly talented.

Definitely agree she has been abused. She is a child who has been failed by all the adults who have responsibility towards her.

Russia keeps churning out these very young amazing skaters and it's incredibly concerning.

CAS was completely wrong reducing the Russian "ban" from 4 years to 2, and things like this show why.

It won't be Valieva's fault, it will absolutely be her coaches giving it to her.

Her coach is a monster and there is no way this young girl, who is so incredibly talented, just decided to up a take a banned drug. So sad for her. She looks terrified of her coach. The other skaters genuinely hug their coaches but she is just going through the motions of a hug, shocking.

Totally agree with the comments. Poor girl. Hope this might help to improve things but not holding much hope.

Absolutely agree-it is child abuse.

Having said that, sadly, she should not be competing as what message does that send to coaches and athletes???

DS competed at GB level from the age of 16 and knew that he was liable for a random drugs test at any time. he would barely take a paracetamol.

I absolutely do not blame this poor girl but for the other athletes who are living so carefully-by the rules-what message does it send if she competes? And what about the coaches of these young athletes-seeing another coach take an illegal advantage over their athletes and get away with it???

I think the whole ROC "punishment" is a bit of a piss take tbh

@mumsiedarlingrevolta I have an aspiring athlete, he’s only 12 and just stared working with a sports nutritionist. He’s too young for testing at the moment, but his nutritionist has already spoken to him at length about getting into the habit now, of checking every supplement he takes, any medication (hayfever, travel sickness etc), to be sure it’s Informed Sport compliant.

I think it’s cultural though, in the UK, doping in the main, is really frowned upon and recognised as out and out cheating - I don’t think that’s the case in Russia. I think they view it as something to get away with.

@edwinbear I also think there are very different philosophies in different sports- DS sport had very very little doping-but there is no money in it really so sadly that is a pressure point as they get older.

there is a dreadful story (I think true but could be urban myth) of a uk athlete-years ago-who bought an OTC medication in US that is fine in the UK but the US has different ingredients and he failed drug test.

FYI there is a website that you can type medication and it will tell you if it is ok-things like inhalers etc

Good luck!

So very sad at the decision to let her continue to compete. I feel sorry for her, she is a child and has been badly let down by people exploiting her natural talent, but by allowing her to continue I think it is sending a message to unscrupulous trainers “Its OK to drug your youngest athletes, if anyone finds out they will let them continue to compete because they feel sorry for them.”

Sports bodies should be protecting young athletes, not giving their coaches the green light to exploit them, drug them and potentially damage their future health and careers.

Well she, and the ROC, have got away with it haven't they. I'd like to know more about why she's considered a "protected person"

Essentially this decision gives her and the rest of the ROC to dope away.