International Blow for Russian Figure-Skating Star and Putin Favorite

Kamila Valieva’s route back to international figure skating has been closed again. After allowing the Russian skater to return to competition as a neutral athlete at the end of August, the International Skating Union reversed its decision and told her that her neutral status had been withdrawn.

The change followed an appeal from Ukraine’s figure-skating federation, which demanded a review of Valieva’s eligibility. Valieva represents Tatiana Navka’s club and trained under Navka, who is the wife of Dmitry Peskov, Vladimir Putin’s press secretary. Navka appears on a sanctions list.

Valieva became internationally known at the Beijing Winter Olympics four years ago. At 15, she won gold in the team event and became the first woman in Olympic history to land a quadruple jump. The achievement was followed by a doping scandal when a test taken before the Games returned positive.

Valieva said she may have accidentally taken the substance after drinking water from a glass used by her grandfather, who took medication for heart problems. She ultimately received a four-year ban, which recently expired, while Russia’s team lost its gold medal.

Putin publicly defended Valieva during the scandal, and the skater thanked him for his support. She was later frequently seen at events alongside the Russian president. The article also points to her participation in Putin’s 2024 inauguration, an appearance in a propaganda film and other activity in Russia’s information space. It says her father is an officer who trains Russian soldiers in occupied Crimea to fight Ukraine.