Verdict of the Olympic Figure Skating Doping Hearing Finally Announced: Valieva is Guilty, U.S. Gets Gold

The results are in nearly two years after the 2022 Olympic team figure skating competition ended.

On Monday, the Court of Arbitration for Sport released its decision on Kamila Valieva, whose positive drug test canceled the medal ceremony. The guilty verdict disqualifies Valieva’s performance, meaning the International Skating Union will likely give the US the gold.

Valieva, who was 15 years old at the Beijing Olympics, led the Russian team to victory, with the US earning silver and Japan getting bronze. The day after the competition ended, it was found that Valieva tested positive for the banned substance trimetazidine at the Russian championships six weeks prior. Athletes are still waiting for their medals after the first-ever canceled ceremony, according to USA Today’s Christine Brennan, who has been closely following the unfolding saga.

The verdict is particularly important for the U.S. team, which dominated the sport for decades but hasn’t medaled since 2006, per Brennan.

Valieva was found to have committed a violation and received a four-year ban from competition with a start date of December 25, 2021, disqualifying her 2022 Olympic performance.