Court cites lab delay in ruling allowing Valieva to skate

By GRAHAM DUNBAR
AP Sports Writer

BEIJING (AP) — The judges who let Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva continue to compete at the Beijing Olympics blamed anti-doping officials for a “failure to function effectively.” The Court of Arbitration for Sport had explained its verdict in the case that has dominated Olympics headlines for more than a week in a 41-page document. It cited the “untenable delay” at the testing laboratory in Sweden as a reason for letting the 15-year-old Valieva skate in the women’s competition. Valieva’s positive test for a heart medication was only revealed during the Olympics despite her urine sample arriving at the Stockholm lab on Dec. 29. The lab’s staffing was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.