Doping: “War has been declared on Russian sport”, the suspension of skater Valieva does not pass in Russia

The Kremlin on Monday described as “political” the decision of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to suspend for four years the young Russian skater Kamila Valieva, whose positive test for a banned substance had splashed the Beijing 2022 Olympics.

“Of course we do not agree with this decision. From my point of view, this is a political decision,” criticized Vladimir Putin’s spokesperson, Dmitri Peskov, quoted by Russian news agencies.

In a press release, the Russian Olympic Committee for its part deplored “the war” waged in its eyes by international authorities against Russian sport.

“In fact, war has been declared on Russian sport and, as we see, all means are good,” denounced the committee, deeming the sanction targeting Kamila Valieva “very severe”.

The young 17-year-old Russian skater, whose positive test for a banned substance had splashed the 2022 Olympic Games in Beijing, was sentenced Monday by the CAS in Lausanne to four years of suspension from December 25, 2021.

“The CAS decision is negative, but it has long been impossible to count on the objectivity and impartiality of this international structure,” the Russian Olympic Committee once again challenged.

The Russian organization adds that it “will closely follow the further steps and decisions of international sports organizations and, if necessary, take appropriate measures to legally protect Russian interests.”