Kamila Valieva could have inadvertently ingested grandfather’s heart medication

BEIJING — Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva may have provided an explanation for how a banned heart medication wound up in her system.

“I don’t know if the (successful) argument was this contamination happened with a product that her grandfather was taking,” International Olympic Committee (IOC) member Denis Oswald told reporters.

There are no further details on how Valieva could have inadvertently ingested trimetazidine, the substance found in her sample taken on Christmas Day. After her result arrived on February 7, she was provisionally suspended by the Russian Anti-Doping Agency, (RUSADA) which then lifted the suspension.

The IOC, International Skating Union and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) Ad Hoc division. After Valieva appeared via videoconference in a hearing lasting nearly six hours, she was cleared to compete, although her actual guilt or innocence in the doping case has not been established.

Oswald appeared at the IOC/BOCOG press briefing Tuesday, where the main topic was the Olympic Solidarity program. However, most of the questions concerned how the Valieva case is tearing the Games apart. Valieva is scheduled to compete later Tuesday in the women’s short program, and people around the world are weighing in on the situation.

The banner headline in London’s Daily Telegraph Tuesday was “The day the Olympics died.”

Oswald, who headed the commission, investigated allegations of systemic cheating by Russian athletes at the Sochi 2014 Games, added that Valieva “presented elements which brought some doubts about guilt.”

Valieva’s age was cited as the main factor in the decision by the CAS to allow her to compete. At age 15, she is a “protected person” according to the World Anti-Doping code.

“The main element was the fact that if the athlete would be suspended, she would not be able to participate in the Games and the damage for her would be irreparable,” Oswald said, “whereas if she competes, even if she gets the gold in the individual competition, the medal could always be withdrawn.”

The IOC has outsourced the adjudication of cases to the Independent Testing Agency and CAS to avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest. “We have to respect this decision,” Oswald said.

However, he suggested that other athletes could protest Valieva’s inclusion in the women’s event. The IOC asked the ISU to advance 25 skaters — rather than the usual 24 — to the free skate in case Valieva is later found to have been ineligible to compete.

Oswald defended the IOC decision not to have medal ceremonies for the team event — won by the Russian Olympic Committee before Valieva’s doping situation came to light — or for the women’s event.

“We fully understand the situation of the team classified second and third,” Oswald said, “but you must understand that it would be very difficult to allocate medals based on a situation which is not final. Because there is a fair chance that you not give the right medal to the right team.”

He said he had sympathy for the other medalists. “They are in a situation that is disagreeable and for us as well,” he said, but noted that the IOC cannot “prejudge the doping case,” which is why it is safer to wait.

The damage to the other medalists is “not irreparable,” Oswald added, even if it is not the same experience to get the medals after the Games.

The veteran IOC member from Switzerland said he expected Valieva’s entourage would be investigated. He said the IOC and WADA would “examine all aspects of this case and including the situation of the entourage of the girl, because of course you can imagine a girl of 15 would not do something wrong alone.”

The “protected person” concept could also be reviewed in the future,” Oswald said, “if we feel that it is not correct that some athletes competing with adults are protected. Again, protected doesn’t mean that she had the right to do anything wrong, you take into consideration her personal consideration and that’s what the court did in that case.”

While some people have pointed to yet another instance of Russian doping following the highly sophisticated state-sponsored program before Sochi, Oswald does not think they are linked.

“My impression from what I’ve seen and heard is that there is no connection with the institutionalized doping we had in Sochi,” he said, “It seems to be a totally difficult case, but it’s difficult to have an opinion without having all details.”

He said that doping system involved a large number of athletes and different organizations, but added, “I’m cautious.”

Oswald said his post-Sochi commission tried to carry out the maximum sanctions according to law, although CAS overturned some decisions. However, Russian athletes competed in Rio, PyeongChang, Tokyo and now Beijing, even though they are under the Russian Olympic Committee flag.

“The task of the IOC is not to punish clean athletes,” he said.

Yet the IOC is being taken to task.

“It’s surprising that people from all over the world have opinions and comments on a case where we ourselves don’t know the details,” Oswald said. “It’s very easy to criticize without knowing the situation. We have tried to do our best to apply the principles of justice, due process and respect the law. OK, it’s part of our job to be criticized, That’s quite normal nowadays.”