Olympia – Witt protects Valiyewa: “Makes my athlete’s heart cry”

Beijing (SID) – The German figure skating legend Katarina Witt is protecting the Russian Olympic champion Kamila Valiyeva, who is suspected of doping, and is targeting the 15-year-old team. “If anything, the responsible adults should be locked out of sport forever! What they may have expected of you cannot be beaten in terms of inhumanity and makes my sportsman’s heart cry,” Witt wrote on Facebook on Thursday.

“As an athlete, you follow the advice of those you trust and, in this case, always first of all the coaching and medical team,” said the 1984 and 1988 Olympic champion: “This young girl and child prodigy who is mesmerizing the whole world with her athleticism and grace, is a minor at 15 and she is not at fault here.”

On Friday, the international testing agency ITA announced that Valiyeva tested positive for the banned substance trimetazidine. The A sample is from December 25, but Valiyeva took part in the team competition and won gold with the Russian team. The CAS Court of Justice will decide whether she can take part in the individual competition next week. The CAS does not decide on the awarding of medals in the team.

“This scandal” is a dramatic turning point for the “young and promising career,” said Witt, and she “fervently hopes that enough people” are at Valiyeva’s “side and protect her so that she doesn’t break.”

Valiewa had impressed in Beijing with several quadruple jumps. For Witt, she remains “a radiant comet” that has “shot into orbit around the international skating world.” “Cheer up Kamila, your Katarina,” wrote Witt.

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