Heart Experts Cast Doubt on Claims That Russian Skater ’s Drug Test Was Contaminated by Her Grandfather’s Medicine

The latest revelations about Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva’s doping case raise more questions about the substances found in her sample—and the reasons why the 15-year-old might have failed the drug test. TIME asked leading experts to help make sense of the claims, which have upended the women’s figure skating competition at the Beijing Olympics and cast a larger pall over the sport. At the hearing held on Sunday by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), anti-doping authorities revealed that Valieva tested positive for three heart treatment drugs, one of which is banned as a performance-enhancer by the World Anti-Doping Agency. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] In addition to trimetazidine (TMZ), the prohibited substance, the New York Times reported that Valieva’s sample also contained hypoxen and L-carnatine, a supplement. All three are used for patients with angina, to improve blood flow and enhance function of the heart when it lacks oxygen. When she submitted a sample for testing in December, Valieva declared that she was taking hypoxen and L-carnatine, along with another compound, supradyn, a supplement that boosts immunity, according to documents reviewed by the Times. All three of those substances are allowed. To explain the presence of the prohibited drug, TMZ, Valieva’s lawyer argued that she was “contaminated” with the medication, potentially via contact with her grandfather, who appeared by video to say...
Source: TIME: Health - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Uncategorized 2022 olympics overnight Second click Source Type: news