Russian anti-doping agency investigating Valieva's support team

Figure Skating - Training
2022 Beijing Olympics - Figure Skating - Training - Training Rink Capital Indoor Stadium, Beijing, China - February 11, 2022. Kamila Valieva of the Russian Olympic Committee during training REUTERS/Evgenia Novozhenina

MOSCOW, Feb 11 (Reuters) - The Russian anti-doping agency RUSADA said on Friday it was investigating Olympic figure skater Kamila Valieva's support team after she tested positive for a banned drug.

RUSADA said it had received Valieva's adverse test result on Monday - the same day the 15-year-old starred in the winning Russian ensemble in the figure skating team event at the Beijing Winter Olympics.

It said the results of the test, from a sample taken in December, had been held up because of COVID-19 cases at the Swedish laboratory that was analysing them.

"Due to the fact that the athlete is a minor ... RUSADA initiated an investigation into the athlete's personnel," the agency said.

"The purpose of this investigation is to identify all the circumstances of a possible anti-doping rule violation in the interests of a 'protected person'."

Reporting by Maria Tsvetkova, writing by Mark Trevelyan; Editing by Kevin Liffey

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