Valieva does not appeal to CAS over withdrawal of neutral status
In short
The Court of Arbitration for Sport has not received an appeal from Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva against the International Skating Union's withdrawal of her neutral status, and the time allowed for filing has expired, TASS and RBC reported. The ISU granted Valieva a neutral status in August and annulled it a month later. Kommersant reported that appeals by Mark Kondratyuk, Alexandra Stepanova and Ivan Bukin have been registered by the court.
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The Court of Arbitration for Sport has not received an appeal from Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva against the International Skating Union's decision to withdraw her neutral status, and the period allowed for filing has expired, according to TASS, RBC and Kommersant. Kommersant, citing the court's press service, reported that the absence of an appeal means the withdrawal of Valieva's neutral status was not submitted to CAS through the established procedure. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
According to Kommersant, the ISU granted neutral status in August to Valieva and singles skater Mark Kondratyuk, then annulled it a month later. After an individual assessment against admission criteria, the skaters were found no longer to meet the requirements for competing as individual neutral athletes, the outlet reported. The ISU also again refused neutral status to ice dancers Alexandra Stepanova and Ivan Bukin, five-time European championship medalists, Kommersant said. [ 3 ]
Skaters had 21 days to appeal, and CAS has registered appeals from Kondratyuk, Stepanova and Bukin, according to Kommersant. Sports Minister Mikhail Degtyarev had said the skaters would challenge the ISU decision at CAS, the outlet reported. Kommersant added that, until the ISU adopts a new decision, Valieva cannot compete in ISU events as an individual neutral athlete. [ 3 ]
Kommersant reported that Valieva is 20 years old and resumed her career last winter after serving a four-year suspension for anti-doping rule violations. In December 2021 she returned a positive sample that contained trimetazidine, the outlet said, and after the suspension she began training under Svetlana Sokolskaya. Kommersant also cited a claim by the Ukrainian figure skating federation, during a review of admission, that Valieva did not meet the criteria because of ties to Russian structures linked to the defence ministry or to sanctioned individuals; the passage was truncated in the document. [ 3 ]
Why it matters
Without an appeal before CAS, the withdrawal of Valieva's neutral status stands, and she cannot compete in ISU events as an individual neutral athlete until the ISU issues a new decision. The case keeps the terms of Russia's return to international figure skating competitions unsettled, with several other Russian skaters' appeals still pending at the court.
Key facts
- CAS has not received an appeal from Kamila Valieva against the ISU's decision to withdraw her neutral status, and the deadline for filing has passed. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- The ISU granted Valieva and singles skater Mark Kondratyuk neutral status in August and annulled it a month later. [ 3 ]
- After individual assessment against admission criteria, the skaters were found no longer to meet the requirements for competing as individual neutral athletes, according to Kommersant. [ 3 ]
- The ISU also again refused neutral status to ice dancers Alexandra Stepanova and Ivan Bukin, five-time European championship medalists. [ 3 ]
- Skaters had 21 days to appeal; CAS has registered appeals from Kondratyuk, Stepanova and Bukin, Kommersant reported. [ 3 ]
- Sports Minister Mikhail Degtyarev had said the skaters would appeal the ISU decision to CAS. [ 3 ]
- Valieva is 20 and resumed her career last winter after serving a four-year doping suspension; her positive sample in December 2021 contained trimetazidine. [ 3 ]
Confirmed by several sources
Still unclear
- Whether Valieva may still seek any further review of the ISU decision. The documents say only that no appeal was filed within the deadline and that the withdrawal was not submitted to CAS in the established procedure; no further steps are reported.
- The ISU's full grounds for annulling Valieva's neutral status. Only Kommersant mentions the reassessment and, in a truncated passage, a claim by the Ukrainian figure skating federation about ties to Russian structures linked to the defence ministry or sanctioned persons; no other outlet in these documents addresses it.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- TASS reports that CAS has not received an appeal from Valieva and that the filing deadline has expired. [ 1 ]
- RBC reports that Valieva did not file an appeal with CAS over the withdrawal of her neutral status and that the time to appeal has run out. [ 2 ]
- Kommersant reports that the figure skater did not challenge the withdrawal of her neutral status at CAS and adds background on the ISU decision and other skaters' appeals. [ 3 ]