Coach Defends Skater Valieva, CAS to Hold Sunday Hearing on Case

Coach Defends Skater Valieva, CAS to Hold Sunday Hearing on Case
Kamila Valieva of the Russian Olympic Committee during training with the Russian Olympic Committee coach Eteri Tutberidze, at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing on Feb. 12, 2022. Aleksandra Szmigiel/Reuters
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BEIJING—The Russian coach of the 15-year-old figure skater embroiled in an Olympic doping scandal broke her silence to defend Kamila Valieva on Saturday, while the sport’s highest court said it would hold a hearing on Valieva’s Winter Games future on Sunday.

Coach Eteri Tutberidze said she was certain Valieva was “clean and innocent” in an interview with Russian state television after hugging her figure-skating prodigy, who trained again at the rink next to the Capital Indoor Stadium on Saturday afternoon.