The Court of Arbitration for Sport only confirmed early Monday afternoon the lifting of the provisional suspension of the 15-year-old skater, decided on Wednesday by the Russian anti-doping agency (Rusada).

That is only around thirty hours before Valieva, a pure product of the Moscow champion factory of the severe Eteri Tutberidze, enters the Olympic ice, precisely at 9:52 p.m. local time (2:52 p.m. French time), for the most important competition. of his fledgling career.

The women's short program is scheduled from 6 p.m. local time (11 a.m. French time).

Valieva is the favorite for Olympic gold, provided she manages to get out of the turmoil in which she has been plunged since last Tuesday and the notification of her positive test.

Previously aligned in the team competition, she became the first skater in history to land quadruple jumps at the Olympics a week ago.

Two in this case.

Undefeated

Valieva also grabbed the three world records for points since the start of the season: short programs (90.45), free (185.29) and total score (272.71).

"She is incredible. No one can deny that her athletic abilities are just extraordinary," admired American skater Jason Brown before the 2022 Olympics.

Just over half an hour after the CAS decision on Monday, the Russian teenager was skating conscientiously on the practice rink.

As with each session scheduled since the formalization of its positive control on Friday.

His main competitors are also his training partners: Anna Shcherbakova, reigning world champion, and Alexandra Trusova, world and European medalist, both 17 years old and also capable of performing quadruple jumps.

So that a 100% Russian podium is quite possible.

Unless they too were disturbed by the Valieva affair?

Valieva's positive control dates back to December 25 in Saint Petersburg, during the Russian Championships.

Kamila Valieva in training in the Olympic ice rink in Beijing, February 14 Anne-Christine POUJOULAT AFP

The offending product is trimetazidine, a substance used to treat angina pectoris and banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) since 2014, because it promotes blood circulation.

No medals awarded

Provisionally suspended by Rusada on Tuesday, the day of the notification of her positive result, Valieva had obtained the lifting of this sanction the next day.

The CAS confirmed this decision on Monday, rejecting the appeal made by the International Olympic Committee, WADA and the International Skating Federation (ISU).

Without however deciding on the merits of the case, which can take several months.

"Preventing the athlete from competing at the Olympics would cause him irreparable harm," observed the three referees.

We already know that neither Valieva nor her competitors will be on the podium on Thursday at the end of the competition, since the IOC has announced that it will await a decision on the merits before awarding the medals for the Olympic events in which the skater will have participated. Russian.

Russian Kamila Valieva with her compatriots Mark Kondratiuk, Anastasia Mishina, Aleksandr Galliamov, Victoria Sinitsina and Nikita Katsalapov after winning Olympic team gold in Beijing on February 7, 2022 WANG Zhao AFP/Archives

And even if she wins on Chinese ice, the "quad girl" will still risk, among other things, the retroactive cancellation of all her results since December 25 if she is found guilty of doping.

She can therefore lose the title of European champion, but also the Olympic team gold and a possible individual medal in Beijing.

Four years ago, two former students of Tutberidze had risen to the top two steps: Alina Zagitova, 15 at the time, and Evgenia Medvedeva.

Neither of them skate competitively anymore.

© 2022 AFP