Swiss Court Upholds CAS Ruling Against Kamila Valieva
In a significant ruling, the Swiss Federal Supreme Court has rejected an appeal by Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva regarding her disqualification for anti-doping violations. The court ordered Valieva to pay legal costs totaling CHF 23,000 to the International Skating Union and the World Anti-Doping Agency, following her unsuccessful challenge against the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) decision. Valieva was found to have tested positive for the banned substance trimetazidine during the Russian Championships in December 2021, leading to her four-year suspension from competitive skating.
Valieva's defense claimed that the substance had inadvertently entered her system through a strawberry cake made by her grandfather. However, the CAS dismissed this explanation, leading to the imposition of the maximum sanction under the World Anti-Doping Code. The Swiss court's ruling emphasized that challenges to CAS decisions are limited to procedural issues, not the merits of the case, and found no significant violations during the original proceedings.
Legal experts, including sports lawyer Anna Antseliovich, noted that the Swiss court rarely overturns CAS decisions, reinforcing the autonomy of arbitration bodies. Valieva's team does have one remaining legal avenue: an appeal to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), although this process is expected to be lengthy and costly.
The ruling has sparked controversy in Russia, with officials and sports figures labeling it politically motivated. Elena Vyalbe, head of the Russian Figure Skating Federation, criticized the Swiss court as corrupt, while State Duma deputy Nikolai Valuev suggested that the case followed a predetermined narrative. Despite the setbacks, Valieva continues to engage in ice performances, indicating her intent to return to competitive skating once her disqualification period concludes.
