Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva, whose Beijing Olympics was overshadowed by a doping saga, will return to the ice this weekend to compete in Russia.
It will be the first competition for the 15-year-old prodigy since last month's Games, which erupted into a scandal after she tested positive for a banned substance before the competition. Valieva ended up placing fourth in the individual figure skating event following a series of mistakes in her routine.
Russia’s 2021 world champion Anna Shcherbakova and Alexandra Trusova took home gold and silver, and Kaori Sakamoto of Japan won bronze.
The Russian competition begins Friday in Saransk and will be a team event. It will feature two teams of skaters from the country competing in men’s and women’s singles, pairs, and ice dancing. It is scheduled to end on Sunday.
Valieva is still dealing with the fallout from testing positive for the banned heart medication trimetazidine, which experts say could give athletes an edge. She took the test on Dec. 25 but the result emerged in early February after Valieva and her teammates competed in a team event winning gold.
The teenager was suspended but the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) lifted it, leading to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the International Skating Union (ISU) to file an appeal against the ban being lifted.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), however, ruled that the ban should remain lifted and allowed Valieva to compete in the individual figure skating event, which she ultimately came in fourth.
RUSADA is still decided whether Valieva will face any type of sanctions for testing positive. The agency has six months from when it was notified about her offense to make the final call. Meanwhile, the World Anti-Doping Agency is investigating the teenage skater's trainer and the entourage surrounding her leading up to the Olympics.