BEIJING — Teen sensation Kamila Valieva has been cleared for takeoff in women’s figure skating in a ruling in a Russian doping case that has caused havoc with one of the marquee events of the Beijing Olympics.
Valieva will have a chance for a second gold medal at this year’s Olympics after the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled Monday she can compete this week despite failing a previous drug test.
The 15-year-old Valieva already set Beijing abuzz when she landed the first quadruple jumps by a woman at the Olympics during her thrilling performance that helped the Russians win the gold medal in the team event. She is the favorite in the women’s individual competition that starts Tuesday with the short program and concludes Thursday with the free skate.
Valieva has been practicing regularly since the doping scandal broke and skated in her allotted practice time slot shortly after CAS released its ruling. The ruling came less than 12 hours after a hastily arranged hearing that lasted into early Monday morning. CAS decided that she does not need to be provisionally suspended ahead of a full investigation. She tested positive for a banned heart drug on Dec. 25.
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