WADA has claimed RUSADA failed to identify Kamila Valieva's sample as a priority sample ©WADA

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has claimed the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) did not flag Kamila Valieva’s sample as a priority, leading to the adverse analytical finding being recorded during the 2022 Winter Olympics here.

A Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) panel opted against reinstating Valieva’s provisional suspension today, permitting the 15-year-old to compete in the women’s singles figure skating event.

The CAS Panel had highlighted "serious issues of untimely notification of the results of the athletes’ anti-doping test".

The Panel, chaired by Italy's Fabio Iudica, claimed this "infringed upon the athletes’ ability to establish certain legal requirements for her benefit", while such late notification was not her fault, in the middle of the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022."

CAS director general Matthieu Reeb had highlighted the gap between the collection of the sample on December 25 and February 8, when the positive test was confirmed by the WADA-accredited laboratory in Karolinska University Hospital in Stockholm.

Reeb said that the case would not have occurred had “these anti-doping testing procedures had been completed in one week or 10 days as generally the case for example at the Olympic Games."

WADA has issued a statement following the CAS decision, with the organisation saying the Panel had decided not to apply the WADA Code "which does not allow for specific exceptions to be made in relation to mandatory provisional suspensions for 'protected persons', including minors."

The organisation has suggested the delay in the analysis of Valieva’s sample was the fault of RUSADA.

Kalima Valieva’s sample was taken in Saint Petersburg on December 25 but Karolinska University Hospital, the WADA-accredited laboratory in Stockholm, where it was sent for testing, did not announce the result until February 8 ©Karolinska University Hospital
Kalima Valieva’s sample was taken in Saint Petersburg on December 25 but Karolinska University Hospital, the WADA-accredited laboratory in Stockholm, where it was sent for testing, did not announce the result until February 8 ©Karolinska University Hospital

"Concerning the analysis of the athlete's sample, WADA always expects Anti-Doping Organizations to liaise with the laboratories in order to ensure they expedite the analysis of samples so that the results are received prior to athletes traveling to or competing in a major event, such as the Olympic or Paralympic Games and, where applicable, conduct results management of the cases related to such athletes," a WADA statement read.

"According to information received by WADA, the sample in this case was not flagged by RUSADA as being a priority sample when it was received by the anti-doping laboratory in Stockholm, Sweden.

"This meant the laboratory did not know to fast-track the analysis of this sample.

"As previously announced, under the terms of the Code, when a minor is involved in an anti-doping case, there is a requirement to investigate that athlete’s support personnel.

"RUSADA has already indicated it has begun that process.

"In addition, WADA’s independent Intelligence and Investigations Department will look into it."

The RUSADA has repeated its claim that an outbreak of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 had been to blame for the delayed analysis of the sample.

The COVID-19 variant had been rampantly spreading across Sweden at the time.

"The athlete's sample, taken on December 25, 2021, was delivered to the laboratory in time sufficient to perform the analysis within the standard time frame," a RUSADA statement read.

"After the expiration of the international standard, the laboratory informed the agency of delays in testing and reporting by the laboratory due to another wave of COVID-19, an increase in the incidence among laboratory staff and quarantine rules. 

"At the same time, in its messages, the laboratory indicated the deadlines for the availability of the analysis results, allowing to receive information from the laboratory until the end of January 2022, that is, before the start of the Olympic Games in Beijing. 

"Also, in January, the laboratory informed that the analysis would be performed as a priority, however, an adverse analysis report was submitted on February 7, 2022. 

"Disclosure of other details regarding the procedure for the analysis of the athlete's sample is unacceptable and may lead to a violation of the interests of the parties."

WADA and RUSADA have offered different reasons for the delay in the analysis of the Kamila Valieva sample ©Getty Images
WADA and RUSADA have offered different reasons for the delay in the analysis of the Kamila Valieva sample ©Getty Images

Athletes from Russia will be competing under the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) banner at the Games to comply with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) decision in the RUSADA case.

The sanction is part of the punishments for the "cover-up of the cover-up" of the manipulation of data at the Moscow Laboratory.

Russia were also sanctioned at Pyeongchang 2018, as part of the legacy of the Sochi 2014 doping scandal.

The Valieva case and a potential dispute over the cause of the delayed analysis of her sample will added to scrutiny of the anti-doping system.

The International Testing Agency said the ROC team were subject to the most testing recommendations of any National Olympic Committee taking part in the Games.

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