Russian teenager Kamila Valieva will return to competition in Saransk this weekend as the investigation into her doping case that marred the Beijing Winter Olympics continues.
Valieva, 15, will compete in the Channel One Cup, a Russian-only event contrived to clash with the World Championships, which start on Wednesday in Montpellier. All Russian skaters are banned from competing in France due to sanctions imposed following the country's invasion of Ukraine.
Reports in Russia this week have claimed that the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) intends to use its allotted six month time-frame from the date of the notification of Valieva's alleged offence to reach a decision over sanctions. This means the authority, who dubiously lifted the athlete's provisional suspension during the Olympics, will be delayed until August.
