10 days before trial: CAS is preparing to consider Valieva’s scandalous case

And, of course, it’s not about eroticism at all. At least for her. Camila herself today gives the new short program the following description: “Just the blues and that’s all.” And he explains: I want the skating to be flexible, beautiful and not look vulgar.

The goal has been achieved. And, even being out of shape (and mid-September is not yet the time to shine with all the technical content; there is a long season ahead), Valieva showed what she wanted in Moscow. And everyone saw: the ice doesn’t just refuse her mutual respect, despite the fact that “as the years go by,” as they say about women’s single skating already at the age of 17, he still loves her just as before.

Yes, there are difficulties. Some arose immediately before the test skates of team members. In mid-August, doctors discovered a retinal tear in the skater and performed two laser procedures. I had to take a break from preparation. Kamila returned to the ice only 10 days before the test skates. It turns out that within a week I managed to get all my triple jumps back into working shape. And in the “red” look she made a bright impression. And then not in red. The Black Panther from the free program is the same, Kamila. Chic and unique.

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…The trial is coming soon. And the most sports court in the world – CAS – has already decided on the schedule: on September 26, actual witnesses will be heard, on September 27, experts will be called, and the next day, all parties will say the final words. If things go more difficult than expected, there is still a reserve day – September 29.

And after the hearings, the panel will prepare a verdict, but “at the moment it is impossible to indicate the timing of its decision.” The verdict will be final and binding, and the parties will have the right to file an “appeal to the Swiss Federal Tribunal on limited procedural grounds” within 30 days. That is, if there were violations during the process, they can be challenged. But only them.

Kamila Valieva approaches the court seemingly unloaded. (We see how he works, performs, communicates with fans, laughs on the ice, tripping and literally hanging on the side a meter from Tatyana Tarasova). Remains herself, familiar. She did not lose the people’s love, having spent the last year fighting with memories and fears in front of the stands. And even acquired a stronger one.

And part of the world, waiting for the court’s decision, generally sees her in red. But not at all in a fantasy erotic way. This part is thirsty for her blood, having rendered its verdict in the case a long time ago.

Probably, one can understand the same American figure skaters who, like all the medalists of the team tournament of the Olympic Games in Beijing 2022, still have not received awards and are even in doubt what the final color will be. But you can’t forget how they, too, clapped for Kamila after the performance – while standing.

How can one get rid of the thought: is there still no solidarity of the strongest in the sports world? And all this is just made-up romance? Once some minimum values ​​of trimetazidine (a medicine for the treatment of heart problems) can change the attitude towards the leader. Moreover, in a professional environment that understands where beauty comes from on ice and how much talent and dedication is behind it. But it still fails to provide an airbag in the event of an accident.

The Americans, despite their requests – we wanted to be there to make the history of the proceedings more transparent – were not allowed in. If we were the judges, one might be offended by such a message. The CAS press release states that all parties to the process – Kamila herself, the Russian Anti-Doping Agency, the International Skating Union, the World Anti-Doping Agency – wanted to keep the hearings closed. At least they worked together in some ways.

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WADA, ISU and RUSADA demand that CAS cancel the decision of the disciplinary anti-doping agency RUSADA that there was no guilt or negligence in Valieva’s actions, and therefore she was not punished in any way, except for the cancellation of the gold of the Russian Championship.

WADA, bloodthirsty and regardless of the status of a “protected person” (Valiyeva was 15 years old at the Games), and the tiny dose of the drug detected in the doping test, demands from CAS a four-year disqualification of the athlete with the cancellation of all results (starting from December 25, 2021). That is, that day of the Russian Championship when the sample was taken.

The ISU, despite initial information that it was in favor of banning Valieva “for a period at the discretion of CAS,” now wants to punish the athlete with a four or two year ban, starting from December 25, 2021. And also with the cancellation of the results.

RUSADA, unexpectedly for everyone, went to CAS to cancel the decision of DAK RUSADA and admit that the athlete had violated anti-doping rules. But she insists her punishment may include or be limited to a warning.

But Camila herself – and here, it seems, we, mere mortals, not experienced in legal subtleties, will not be able to figure out whether what was voiced is good or bad, but this is what she will defend. (First reaction: doubt that any of the sympathizers would like to hear exactly this version of the demands.)

To quote the court’s press release: “Valieva demands from CAS a decision that it does not have jurisdiction over the claims of WADA, ISU and RUSADA, since the doping violation has not been proven, and the result at the Russian Championship must be restored. In the alternative, she requires a determination that she bears no fault or negligence or, more importantly, that the offense was not willful, so the period of ineligibility must not exceed two years and no results can be disqualified.”

Some witnesses and experts will speak during the hearing via video link. Camila – in exactly this way. From the very beginning, due to the hype around the case, the Court of Arbitration for Sport did not seem to want publicity: it did not name the names of the selected judges. But for some reason I decided to open my cards.

The CAS panel consists of three people. The ISU and WADA nominated the American Jeffrey Mishkin, and Camila herself nominated the Frenchman Mathieu Maisonneuve. RUSADA, which was both the plaintiff in one procedure and the defendant in two more, did not participate in the selection of judges. The panel president was appointed by the CAS himself, as required by the court’s code: James Drake, representing the UK and Australia.

Presenting these three chosen ones as the saviors of the honor of our figure skating or a real funeral home for it is empty. A bouquet from America, France and Great Britain sounds, of course, not very optimistic in the light of today’s realities. But I want to believe that the court has and still has its own eternal laws.

And the CAS panel, which made a decision in favor of Valieva at the Olympics in Beijing itself, by the way, also included an American arbitrator. Then, after the results of the test were announced, a temporary suspension was imposed on the skater after the team tournament. A day later, DAC RUSADA canceled it, which gave him access to the personal tournament. WADA, ISU and the IOC protested the decision, and the CAS visiting panel (an American, an Italian and a Slovenian referee) allowed Kamila to speak.

Yes, it is pointless to guess how things will end in almost a week, in such a sensitive issue, which has also sounded and continues to sound so powerfully throughout the world. But we still rely on what experts admit: the decision to cancel the results will be in favor of Valieva. They say there is such a “principle of justice.” And the concentration of the prohibited drug is subject to assessment, and whether there were clean samples, and whether this concentration influenced the result…

Valieva herself says today: Kamila at 13 years old and the current one, 17 years old, are two different people. She does not shy away from the topic that has been haunting her with painful shock (and not only her) all this time after the Olympic Games. “The events that happened to me made me more aware and mature. They changed my life.” And he thinks about the future, says: if there were such mini-courses “Try Life”, then you could try yourself in different areas and decide where you want to be realized.

…But from the outside it seems that she can already teach such courses. Topic: how to overcome the insurmountable.