Kamila Valieva Loses Neutral Athlete Status, Barred from International Competition

Kamila Valieva, a Russian figure skater, has had her neutral athlete status revoked by the International Skating Union (ISU), which means she will not be able to compete internationally. This decision was confirmed by a source familiar with the situation.

Valieva, who gained notoriety during the 2022 Olympics due to a positive test for the banned substance trimetazidine, received notification of the ISU's ruling. The Court of Arbitration for Sport had previously imposed a four-year ban on her, effective from the date of her positive test in December 2021.

Since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Russian athletes have been prohibited from competing under their national flags. The ISU allows some athletes to compete as neutrals if they pass stringent background checks. Without this status, athletes cannot participate in ISU events or earn world ranking points. The Ukrainian Figure Skating Federation has called for stricter measures regarding the admission of Russian and Belarusian athletes as neutrals.