Two legal substances used to improve heart function are listed on an anti-doping control form filled out for Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva before her drug case at the Olympics erupted, according to documents submitted in her case.
The World Anti-Doping Agency filed a brief in the Valieva case stating that the mention on the form of L-carnitine and Hypoxen, though both legal, undercuts the argument that a banned substance, trimetazidine, might have entered the skater鈥檚 system accidentally.
Hypoxen, a drug designed to increase oxygen flow to the heart, was a substance the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency recently tried, without success, to get placed on the banned list. L-carnitine, another oxygen-boosting performance enhancer, is banned if injected above certain thresholds. The supplement was the focal point of the doping case involving track coach Alberto Salazar.
Combining those with 2.1 nanograms of trimetazidine, the drug found in Valieva鈥檚 system after a Dec. 25 test, is 鈥渁n indication that something more serious is going on,鈥� USADA CEO Travis Tygart said.
鈥淵ou use all of that to increase performance,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t totally undermines the credibility鈥� of Valieva鈥檚 defense.
Two people with knowledge of the case told The Associated Press that a brief seen by AP that was filed by the World Anti-Doping Agency in a hearing on Valieva鈥檚 case was authentic. The people spoke on condition of anonymity because the document was not publicly available. WADA did not immediately respond to an email left by AP asking for comment on the brief.
The brief describes Valieva鈥檚 mother as arguing that the skater鈥檚 grandfather was a regular user of trimetazidine, which would explain how it got into her system.
WADA said while that explanation involves 鈥渟ome form of exposure鈥� to trimetazidine, it is not an argument that she had taken a 鈥渃ontaminated product,鈥� which can be used as a defense.
In addition, WADA said there was no attempt to argue that the legal substances listed on the form were contaminated, either, so 鈥渢he athlete necessarily cannot meet the criteria to have her鈥� suspension lifted via the contaminated-product rule.
Valieva鈥檚 positive test came to light after she had led the Russians to a gold medal in the team skating event last week. Russia鈥檚 anti-doping agency at first suspended her, then lifted the suspension. That led WADA and the IOC to appeal to CAS, which determined Valieva could skate in the women鈥檚 event that began Tuesday
Because she is 15, she is considered a 鈥減rotected person鈥� under anti-doping rules and could escape major sanctions. Her coaches and other members of her entourage are subject to automatic investigation and bigger penalties.
The larger case involving the positive test, and resolving whether Russia will get its gold medal, will be decided later. In the meantime, the IOC has said there will be no medals ceremony for events in which Valieva makes the podium. She鈥檚 a favorite for gold, and was leading after the short program.
鈥擡ddie Pells, The Associated Press
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