Kamila Valieva tested positive for two other heart medications.
Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva’s dramatic Winter Olympic saga has a fresh turn as media from the US reported on Wednesday that the teenager tested positive on not one substance used to treat heart conditions but three substances.
The substances trimetazidine, Hypozen and L-carnitine were present but only one of those three substances is banned under the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) code as a performance enhancing substance.
United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) boss Travis Tygart broke down the specifics of the substances reported to have been found in Valieva’s system.
"It's using the three that showed the intent of trying three different routes that ultimately give the same impact on performance: increased endurance, reduced shortness of breath, tiredness," Tygart said.
According to Valieva's defense team, the teen may have accidentally ingested traces of trimetazidine by sharing a drinking glass with her grandfather, who takes the heart medication.
Trimetazidine is commonly used to treat angina and has been prohibited by the World Anti-Doping Agency since 2014 for its potential to enhance blood flow and aid endurance.
While the Russian manufacturer of Hypoxen says the product increases endurance and reduces fatigue during physical activity by promoting more efficient oxygen use and L-carnitine is an amino acid taken as a dietary supplement that may also increase blood flow and oxygen supply to muscles.
Although these two other substances are seen to improve blood flow, they are not prohibited on their own, but high doses of these mixed with other substances are not allowed.
The US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) tried to ban Hypoxen in 2017 due to its performance-enhancing capabilities, but that ban was not implemented, according to documents provided to CNN by Tygart.
The World Anti-Doping Agency agency chief, Witold Banka, tweeted Tuesday that the doping of minors is "evil and unforgivable."
"The doctors, coaches and support personnel who are found to have provided performance-enhancing drugs to minors should be banned for life," he wrote. "I also think that they should be in prison."
Tags: #Russia, #doping, #WinterOlympics