The Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) investigation into figure skater Kamila Valieva's failed drug test has ruled that the teenager was not guilty of any doping infraction, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) said on Friday.
The WADA said in a statement that RUSADA had determined that although Valieva had committed an anti-doping rule violation, she bore "no fault or negligence" for it.
As such, the tribunal imposed no sanction except for the disqualification of her results on the date of the sample collection on December 25, 2021 before the then 15-year-old competed at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.
Figure skater Kamila Valieva performs her free skating program during a pre-season test of the Russian national figure skating team in Moscow, Russia, September 25, 2022. /CFP
The WADA had been seeking a four-year ban and said in a statement that it was "concerned" by the finding and would not hesitate to exercise its right of appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Valieva tested positive for the banned substance trimetazidine at the Russian national championships in December 2021 but the result was only made known on February 8, a day after she helped her team win a gold medal at the Beijing Winter Olympics as she became the first female skater to land a quadruple jump in Olympic competition at the age of 15.
In her defense, Valieva said the positive test was the result of a mix-up with her grandfather's heart medication.
Kamila Valieva competes in the women's free skate program during the 2022 Russian Figure Skating Grand Prix in Moscow, Russia, October 23, 2022. /CFP
The case prompted questions over whether the minimum age for competitors in figure skating needed to be raised to protect minors.
The International Skating Union has voted to raise the minimum age for skaters from 16 years old for the 2023-24 season to 17 from the 2024-25 season onwards, in time for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy.
(With input from agencies)