Who are Kamila Valieva's parents? Russia's teen Olympic star tests positive for banned drug
Teenage Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva, who turned heads with her incredible performance at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, has now tested positive for a banned drug. It has come to light that the 15-year-old athlete has been found to be Trimetazidine positive, a drug commonly used for chest pains. The world anti-doping agency lists the drug as a prohibited substance. Earlier, the gold medals for her team (Russian Olympic Committee) were withheld indefinitely due to unexplained legal reasons.
Valieva, who made her Olympic debut this year, happens to be the youngest athlete at the Beijing Winter Olympics. On February 7, the Russian skater made history by becoming the first woman to successfully land a quad at the Winter Olympics. She also broke three world records in the short program, free skate, and total score in her very first performance. Valieva has been training since childhood at Moscow's Sports School of the Olympic Reserve, commonly known as 'Moskvich'.
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Who are Kamila Valieva's parents?
Born on April 26, 2006, in Kazan, Russia, Valieva was introduced to gymnastics and ballet as a very young child. However, she did not find her passion in any of these, with gymnastics being painful and ballet simply boring for her. Valieva and her mother, an accountant, moved to Moscow when she was 6 years old. There, she found her calling in figure skating and began her training at Moskvich.
At the age of 12 years, her parents enrolled her at the 'Sambo-70' Sports School in Moscow. There, she trained under renowned coach Eteri Tutberidze, who was the coach for 2014 Olympic champion Alina Zagitova and world champion Evgenia Medvedeva. With their efficient guidance and coaching, Valieva won the ISU Junior Grand Prix and World Junior Championship at just the age of 13 years. In December 2021, she became the Russian national champion in adult figure skating.
While the identity of her parents was not shared by Valieva, she often posts photos with her younger sister Alisa Pesbalova — who is also an aspiring figure skater. Valieva's great-grandfather happened to be Zinnatullin Nasretdin Zinnatullovich, a machine gunner at the infantry division of the 2nd Ukrainian Front. In an Instagram post from May 2021, she paid a heartfelt tribute to her ancestor.
Valieva's family and coach have remained largely silent following her drug test scandal, which is likely to strip her of the coveted Olympic gold. The drug she tested positive for is not approved by the US Anti-Doping Agency, as Trimetazidine (TMZ) can help athletes in endurance sports. It increases blood flow to the heart and cause rapid swings in blood pressure.