Figure Skater Finds Silver Lining After Doping Suspension Costs Her Olympic Medal
Back in 2022, a 15-year-old determine skater, Kamila Valieva, was on high of the world after serving to her Russian crew win gold within the crew occasion on the Beijing Winter Olympics. However, simply two years later, her world collapsed as CAS disqualified her outcomes after she examined constructive for a banned substance in a pre-Olympic pattern, and Valieva additionally acquired a 4-year ban, and her Olympic medal was stripped away from your complete crew. Although Valieva denied any intentional wrongdoing, quick ahead to 2026, and she or he is discovering a silver lining.
Valieva defended the costs levied in opposition to her and claimed that the contaminant entered her system by accident from her grandfather’s remedy. She additionally claimed that she consumed a strawberry dessert that was ready on the identical plate that contained remedy. Although she was a minor at the moment, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) discovered this model lacked concrete proof and punished her. The four-year ban gave her loads of time to mirror on the world.
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“I think if you have to look for the positive in everything, then you can find some positives in the disqualification too,” she mentioned. She added that the primary months of her suspension felt unusually free when it comes to coaching load, describing it as “absolutely fantastic… in terms of any kind of volume, physical and otherwise.” When requested what felt totally different, she pointed to at least one easy change: “They stopped weighing me.”
Kamila Valieva spoke about how strict each day weigh-ins have been a part of her coaching life underneath coach Eteri Tutberidze, whereas coaching throughout the Sambo-70 system on the Khrustalny rink in Moscow (though she didn’t point out her title, however at the moment, she was coaching underneath her). She mentioned, “Even though I tried (to practice) healthy eating, we were still weighed every day at lunch. And you know, those extra 100-200 grams were the problem.”
Kamila Valieva additionally defined the psychological stress facet of it, “Weighing yourself every day can lead to eating disorders, which I had. It’s a really sensitive topic” for most women in determine skating. She continued, “If you have 200 grams, you’re done. You won’t skate or jump anymore. Weighing ourselves is what triggers us to become overweight. I don’t need to be reminded 100 times a day that something’s wrong with me. I know that. I see it.”
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Over the years, skaters from the identical coaching system have talked about related experiences. Yulia Lipnitskaya as soon as described strict dietary management, with Tutberidze saying, “When she has to lose weight, all she eats is powdered nutrients, which give her energy.” Even one other skater from the identical heart, Alina Zagitova, mentioned, “During the Olympic season, I hardly drank any water. To maintain my weight, I even limited my fluid intake.”
That type of surroundings is a part of why Valieva has spoken in a different way about her suspension years later. Now 19, Valieva has returned to aggressive skating.
Kamila Valieva makes a comeback on residence turf
Now 19, Kamila Valieva has returned to aggressive skating, however not on the identical stage as earlier than. She appeared on the Russian Jumping Championships (2026) in Moscow, a jump-only occasion the place skaters are judged solely on technical parts, not full applications. She opened her efficiency with a clear quadruple toeloop, incomes applause from the group.
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She earned a spot within the semifinals, and she or he completed sixth within the “duets” leaping phase, however didn’t make it to the ultimate. The occasion was nationally televised. But on the identical time, her return comes with limits. She was not eligible for the 2026 Winter Olympics. And for now, her competitions are restricted to home occasions in Russia.
Kamila Valieva’s coaching routine has additionally modified. After leaving her long-time camp underneath Eteri Tutberidze, she moved to a brand new setup underneath Svetlana Sokolovskaya and trains on the Navka Arena in Moscow.
But the larger query now could be the place this path can lead subsequent. Could there nonetheless be a return to the largest stage in sport on the 2030 Winter Olympics, when she can be 23, and presumably in a really totally different type than earlier than? Right now, it’s much less about medals and extra about discovering rhythm once more in a sport that when outlined her very adolescence.
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