WADA Says Disappointed by CAS Decision on Valieva's Case

"WADA is therefore disappointed by today’s ruling of the CAS Ad Hoc Division. While WADA has not received the reasoned award, it appears that the CAS panel decided not to apply the terms of the Code, which does not allow for specific exceptions to be made in relation to mandatory provisional suspensions for 'protected persons', including minors", the agency said in a statement.

The agency added Valieva's sample was not flagged by the Russian Anti-Doping Agency as being a priority sample when it was received by the anti-doping laboratory in Stockholm, which means that "the laboratory did not know to fast-track the analysis of this sample."

"As previously announced, under the terms of the Code, when a minor is involved in an anti-doping case, there is a requirement to investigate that athlete’s support personnel. RUSADA has already indicated it has begun that process. In addition, WADA’s independent Intelligence and Investigations Department will look into it", the statement read.

The United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) also expressed disappointment, saying the ruling "appears to be another chapter in the systematic and pervasive disregard for clean sport".

"We are disappointed by the message this decision sends. It is the collective responsibility of the entire Olympic Community to protect the integrity of sport and to hold our athletes, coaches and all involved to the highest of standards", head of USOPC Sarah Hirshland said in a statement.

Earlier on Monday, the CAS decided to let Valieva continue her participation in the Beijing Olympics, rejecting appeals from the International Olympic Committee (IOC), International Skating Union (ISU), and WADA over failure to pass a doping test. The court added that "no provisional suspension should be imposed on the skater".

RUSADA decided to lift a provisional doping suspension of Valieva, after a trace of trimetazidine (a drug banned at the Olympics) was found in a sample taken back in December, during the Russian national championships. At the same time, her tests taken immediately before the Olympics and after the Games had started, proved clean.