Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva has been cleared to compete at the Winter Olympics by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), despite the teenager's failed drugs test.

The 15-year-old is due to compete in the individual event on Tuesday, and has been considered the heavy favourite for top spot, having already helped Russia to team figure skating gold.

Valieva tested positive in December for trimetazidine, a medication that prevents angina attacks but is banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) because it aids blood flow to the heart.

Her sample that failed was taken on Christmas Day during Russia's national championships, but Valieva could compete at Beijing 2022 after she appealed against the outcome and RUSADA – Russia's Anti-Doping Agency – removed a provisional suspension on February 9.

However, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the International Testing Agency (ITA) appealed against that ruling, leading to the CAS decision after meeting late on Sunday evening in Beijing.

DETAILS OF RULING

The CAS statement said: "The Panel determined that permitting the provisional suspension to remain lifted was appropriate."
 
The case was complicated by Valieva's age, as a WADA ruling means competitors under the age of 16 are "protected persons", and athletes concerned keep anonymity, which was cited as a reason for the decision.

The statement added: "The Panel considered fundamental principles of fairness, proportionality, irreparable harm, and the relative balance of interests as between the Applicants and the Athlete, who did not test positive during the Olympic Games in Beijing."

It continued: "The CAS Panel also emphasized that there were serious issues of untimely notification of the results of the Athlete’s anti-doping test that was performed in December 2021 which impinged upon the Athlete’s 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."