Kamila Valieva, the 15-year-old Russian figure skater, tested positive for the banned heart medication trimetazidine (TMZ) on December 25, 2021 after the Russian Figure Skating Championships. Considering the importance of sports integrity and fair competition, the decision of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to allow Valieva to participate in the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics has become a point of controversy among the public. Although Valieva finished fourth in figure skating and failed to win a medal, the fact that she took prohibited medication remains unchanged; therefore, proper action should be taken to rectify the injustice.
Upholding the values of fairness and justice is important in any sports competition, including the Olympics. As stated by the International Olympics Committee (IOC), one of the top priorities of the IOC is to strengthen the integrity of sports organizations and protect clean athletes who have dedicated their time and efforts to practicing. It is the responsibility of the IOC, coaches, and athletes to create an environment where all participants can enjoy fair competition. However, performance-enhancing drugs put some athletes at different starting lines; thus, doping that illegally enhances an athlete’s physical ability and performance should be strictly prohibited.
As clearly mentioned on its homepage, the IOC holds a zero-tolerance policy to “combat cheating and hold accountable anyone responsible for using or providing doping products.” According to World Anti-Drug Code monitored by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), the core document that harmonizes anti-doping policies indicates that athletes who violate the rules will be disqualified from games and be deprived of medals. Also, they cannot compete in any sports event for four consecutive years and will be banned from training and coaching.
However, Valieva was allowed to compete due to exceptional circumstances, including her status as a protected person under the World Anti-Doping Code. More specifically, the CAS approved Valieva’s entrance based on three reasons: the athlete has not reached the age of 16, the doping test was held before the Olympics, and the notification of results was delayed. These exceptions do not coincide with IOC’s zero-tolerance policy; thus, doping protocols should be revised to effectively promote sports integrity. Along with the removal of exceptional circumstances, various committees should exert additional effort in inspecting doping in local sports teams, especially during training and game seasons. It is also important to find effective methods of inspection as some athletes may feel uncomfortable and report their privacy being infringed by the procedures of doping tests.
Above all, doping should be strictly prohibited because its harm is not restricted to an individual and can extend to other athletes. For example, technical scores in figure skating reflect the height, accuracy, and number of rotations. Athletes who take medication can gain higher technical scores through their illegally enhanced physical abilities, while other athletes put a tremendous amount of time and effort to achieve the same goal. Moreover, athletes of the same nationality cannot be free from continuous suspicions of doping, and the record of doping may disgrace the country.
Therefore, regardless of age, sex, and nationality, an athlete who has tested positive for doping should not participate in the Olympics for the sake of fair and upright competition. Kim Yuna — an iconic South Korean figure skater — also criticizes the injustice by saying, “An athlete who violates the ban on doping cannot compete in the game. This principle must be observed without exception. All players' efforts and dreams are equally precious.” Although the route and means of Valieva’s doping are yet unclear, proper rectification of the current issue, including the athlete’s suspension from the Olympics, was and will be needed to preserve sports integrity and protect other athletes.