15-year-old Russian athlete tested positive for metabolic agent | DW News

The International Testing Agency (ITA) confirmed in a statement on Friday that Russian figure skating sensation Kamila Valieva tested positive for a banned substance ahead of the Beijing Winter Olympics. The agency said it would lead an appeal on behalf of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) against a decision by Russia's anti-doping agency to lift a provisional ban.

Valieva, 15, tested positive for trimetazidine, a metabolic agent that is prescribed for the treatment of angina and vertigo. The substance is banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency because it can increase blood flow efficiency and help endurance. The ITA said Valieva submitted the sample during the Russian championships on December 25. However, the positive test had not been confirmed by an internationally-accredited laboratory until Tuesday. Russian media reported the positive test after a ceremony — also on Tuesday — to present Valieva and her teammates with their Olympic gold medals was postponed for unexplained legal reasons. The Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) then provisionally suspended Valieva, which would have ruled her out of the Olympics. However, the skater was successful in challenging that decision and the ban was lifted on Wednesday.

It's that lifting of the ban that the ITA says it will challenge on behalf of the Games' organizers.