Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva has been retroactively disqualified from the 2022 Olympics following a two-year investigation, according to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Switzerland.
Valieva violated anti-doping regulations, and she received a four-year ban retroactive to Dec. 25, 2021.
Starting the ban on that date voids Valieva’s results from the 2022 Beijing Olympics, and most notably the team figure skating competition on Feb. 7, 2022.
The Russian team, including Valieva, won the event, with the United States finishing second and Japan finishing third.
Her disqualification should now give the United States another gold medal from the event, while also awarding fourth-place Canada a bronze medal.
“It is now imperative for the ISU to effectuate the technical decision of her disqualification from the Games and redistribute the medals to the right winners,” U.S. Anti-Doping Agency CEO Travis Tygart told USA Today.
Medals were actually not awarded at the time due to a “legal” issue that centered around Valieva testing positive for a performance-enhancing drug leading into the event, according to Yahoo.
That marked the first time medals were not awarded, per USA Today.
Valieva, then 15, tested positive for Trimetazidine, an illegal heart medication, during the Russian National Championships on Christmas Day 2021.
Trimetazidine is considered a PED since it can help boost endurance and blood flow, per Yahoo.
Russia initially suspended Valieva upon the news of the positive test, although she appealed the decision, and she continued to compete.
The World Anti-Doping agency appealed that decision, which then led to this investigation, according to Yahoo.
“Having carefully considered all the evidence put before it, the CAS Panel concluded that Ms Valieva was not able to establish, on the balance of probabilities and on the basis of the evidence before the Panel, that she had not committed the (anti-doping rule violation) intentionally,” the CAS said in a statement.
While the CAS has voided the results, it noted in the award that ultimately the affected organizations have to examined the consequences from the disqualification.
Valieva has 30 days to file an appeal.