Beijing Olympics: Russian figure skater Valieva cleared to compete in next event

Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva will be allowed to compete in the women’s single in figure skating at the Beijing Olympics after a decision by sport’s top court CAS on Monday.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport said it had upheld the Russian Anti-Doping Agency’s decision to lift a ban on the 15-year-old, who tested positive for a banned substance on Dec. 25, in a statement released on its website on Monday.

The result of the positive drug test was not revealed until Feb. 8 after Valieva had competed in the team event at the Winter Games, dazzling the world with the first quad jumps ever completed in the women’s Olympic competition.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC), the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the International Skating Union (ISU) had appealed RUSADA’s decision to lift the provisional doping suspension of Valieva.

The women’s single, an event for which Valieva is hot favourite, starts with the short programme on Tuesday and concludes on Thursday with the free skating.