Last Friday (January 13), the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) Disciplinary Committee ruled that, while Valieva had committed an anti-doping violation, she should bear "no guilt or negligence" for the case that came to light when she was competing at the 2022 Olympic Games in Beijing.

The only sanction imposed was a disqualification of her Russian title win on the date of her sample collection, taken on December 25 in 2021 at the Russian Championships, taken when she was only 15 and thus a "minor" under the World Anti-Doping Code.

Valieva was the star of the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) team that finished ahead of the United States and Japan.

The RUSADA ruling, if it stands, means the ROC would be allowed to keep those gold medals.

But, after insidethegames exclusively revealed after the event that Valieva had tested positive for a banned substance - heart medication trimetazidine - the Beijing 2022 medal ceremony was cancelled, and the medals have not been awarded.

It was claimed by Russian authorities that her positive test may have resulted from contamination via heart medication her grandfather was taking.

The controversial decision to effectively clear Valieva seems certain to be appealed against by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).

Commenting on Twitter, Calang, a three-time US national silver medallist, appeared to suggest that the Russian investigation into the 16-year-old Valieva had been rigged.

"Hmm... this seems totally fair and unbiased," she tweeted, adding an upside-down smiley emoji and sharing the text of the WADA statement on Valieva.

"Doping is doping which should automatically equal a sanction. WADA needs to appeal. THE END."

The comment echoed the sentiment expressed across much of the Western media in Valieva's case, although some of the responses to Calalang's tweet noted that she had first-hand experience of being implicated in a doping investigation.

In Calalang's case, she faced an eight-month battle to clear her name in 2021 after testing positive for 4-chlorophenoxyacetic acid (4-CPA) in a sample taken in January of that year.

The substance is a known metabolite of meclofenoxate - a stimulant which was prohibited by the United States Anti-Doping Agency.

The 27-year-old skater and her pairs partner Brian Johnson were forced to withdraw from the World Championships in March 2021 while her case was resolved.

Calalang,was eventually cleared following an investigation by USADA, which discovered that a non-prohibited substance which is found in shampoos and lotions, chlorphenesin, can metabolise into 4-CPA.

A similar finding had been made in a case involving Ultimate Fighting Championship fighter Rob Font, who had been cleared earlier that year after it was found that cosmetic products he used before a fight resulted in a positive test.

"I had used all the same make-up before," Calalang said at the time of her case, describing the situation as "just a big shock to me."

She was eventually fully cleared of any violations by USADA and WADA at the end of September 2021.