Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva has neutral athlete status revoked, AP source says

Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva competes at the Russian Jumping Championships in Moscow on Jan. 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Pavel Bednyakov, File)

DUESSELDORF, Germany (AP) — Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva has had her permission to compete internationally as a neutral athlete revoked, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press on Saturday.

The latest twist in Valieva’s career comes more than four years after disputes about her positive doping test overshadowed the 2022 Beijing Olympics.

The person said that Valieva was initially granted neutral status under a new International Skating Union rule for this season which states that skaters from Russia and Belarus are “presumed eligible unless they fall within the disqualifying criteria.”

That status was then withdrawn from Valieva over concerns about a potential breach of criteria preventing skaters from being granted neutral status if they have previously supported Russia’s war in Ukraine, the person said.