An Olympic Figure Skater Failed A Drug Test & Russia Says It's Just A 'Misunderstanding'

One of the youngest Olympic athletes has had quite a week, after winning gold medals and then suddenly being at risk of losing them due to a failed drug test.

Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva, 15, is in the middle of a major doping scandal in Beijing, after testing positive for a banned substance at another event before the Olympics.

Earlier this week, Valieva bagged two gold medals after she landed not one but two quadruple jumps, becoming the first female to execute the jump in the history of the Olympics successfully. Her drug test results came back shortly after those wins, and now she's one of the youngest Olympic athletes ever to fail a drug test, reported Reuters.

Now her gold medals — and those of her teammates — are up in the air until Tuesday, when an official decision is expected on her doping case.

Officials confirmed on Friday that Valieva had tested positive for a banned heart medication in December, ending days of speculation that Russia was once again using drugs to cheat at the Games. Russia is already banned from using its name, flag and anthem at the Games because it cheated in 2014.

The International Testing Agency (ITA) said it had been protecting Valieva's results because she is a minor, but it released the results because “some in the media did not grant her the same protection and have reported widely on the basis of unofficial information.”

Now it’s official information: Valieva tested positive for trimetazidine, a heart medication that can improve performance, after an event in late December.

According to the ITA, they did not get the positive test result until February 8, more than a month after the sample was given.

The Beijing Olympics has to follow the rules of the International Olympic Committee, which calls for the suspension of athletes and prohibits them from participating in sports under such circumstances.

Russian Olympic officials banned Valieva over the result on Tuesday, then lifted the ban on Wednesday after an appeal, The Associated Press reports. She was back on the ice to train on Thursday.

The reason for their decision to lift the ban is yet to be disclosed, but the Russians are fighting to keep their medals.

The Kremlin has voiced their support for the athlete, and a spokesperson even said that Moscow supports her "infinitely and completely" and that they are convinced that there seems to be "some kind of misunderstanding," reported NBC News.

Other figure skaters also supported Valieva, such as Katarina Witt, a German figure skater.

She wrote on Facebook that "responsible adults should be banned from the sport forever" instead of Valieva.

"As an athlete, you always follow the advice of your confidants, in this case she probably followed her coach and medical team," said Witt.

"Kamila has learned her quadruple jumps with infinite diligence and courage. No doping would have helped her to land these!"

The hearing to decide Valieva's fate is on Tuesday.

Her next figure skating event is also on that day, and she's considered a favourite to win gold — if she's allowed to skate.