Kamila Valiyeva is allowed to compete in the women's Olympic figure skating competition.

This was announced by the International Court of Arbitration for Sports CAS on Monday afternoon in Beijing.

The decision of the three arbitrators, chaired by the Italian contract lawyer Fabio Iudica, emphasizes that the panel did not deal with the details of the circumstances surrounding the positive doping test.

Christopher Becker

sports editor.

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Valiyeva, who is considered the first contender for the gold medal, gave a positive sample at the Russian championships on December 25.

The findings of the Stockholm anti-doping laboratory pointed out the heart drug trimetazidine.

The lab only reported the finding on February 8, a day after the team competition in Beijing, which the Russian team won, ended.

The CAS ad hoc panel only dealt with the question of whether Valiyev's provisional ban should be reinstated.

As a result of the finding, this was initially pronounced by the Russian anti-doping agency RUSADA, but was lifted again on February 9 by its disciplinary commission on the objection of Valiyeva.

Since then, the 15-year-old figure skater from the Sambo 70 club of Eteri Tutberidze, who is as successful as her training model is controversial, has been training again for the individual competition.

The referees, in addition to Iudica the American Jeffrey Benz and the Slovenian Vesna Berkant Rakocevic, did not deal with the main point in their deliberations.

Interestingly, Mark Adams, spokesman for the International Olympic Committee, said earlier in the morning's daily press conference that, unfortunately, the full circumstances of the case were not being discussed in Beijing.

Message came "at the wrong time"

The CAS press release shows that the referees merely weighed up the interests in which they rated Valiyeva's interest in an Olympic start higher than a reinstatement of the provisional ban following a doping finding.

According to the press release, the arbitral tribunal only acknowledged the fact that the findings were only communicated during the course of the games: the announcement was made "at the wrong time".

In addition, the World Anti-Doping Code does not contain any provision for dealing with temporary bans against so-called "protected persons", in this case athletes under the age of 16.

The panel therefore applied "fundamental principles of fairness, proportionality, irreparable harm and the balancing of interests between applicants and the athlete".

Valiewa did not give a positive test in Beijing and will still have to answer for the positive test in a main case.

On Monday afternoon, a few minutes after the verdict was announced, the 15-year-old entered the ice surface of the training hall.

On Tuesday, she is scheduled to start the Olympic short program at 9:52 p.m. and 30 seconds.

If Valiyeva wins another medal, there will be no award ceremony.

The Executive of the International Olympic Committee decided on Monday.

If gold favorite Valiyeva places in the top three, there will be neither a flower ceremony immediately after the competition nor a medal ceremony, the IOC said.

It was "inappropriate" to hold a medal ceremony with an athlete who tested positive for doping in the A sample, but whose doping offense has not yet been finally determined.

Because of the unresolved situation in the doping affair, the IOC called on the World Skating Union (ISU) to allow 25 instead of 24 participants for the final women's freestyle, provided Valiyeva qualified for it.

According to the IOC, the medal ceremonies should be made up for in a dignified manner as soon as the sports law proceedings regarding Valiyeva have been completed.