Putin Says Valieva’s Skating ‘Perfection’ Could Not Be Achieved With Doping

Russian President Vladimir Putin poses for a picture with figure skater Kamila Valieva (R) during an awarding ceremony honoring the country's Olympians at the Kremlin in Moscow, on April 26, 2022. Mikhail Klimentyev/Sputnik/Kremlin via Reuters

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday that teenage figure skater Kamila Valieva’s performances could not have been achieved with the help of any banned substances.

Valieva, who turned 16 on Tuesday, failed a doping test at the Russian national championships last December but the result was only revealed on Feb. 8, a day after she had already helped the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) win the team event at the Beijing Games.