The Russian figure skating star at the center of doping questions at the Beijing Olympics will be allowed to compete in the women’s singles event after a ruling by arbitrators on Monday.
The panel, in a statement, said it would be unfair and cause “irreparable harm” if she were barred from the competition, despite having tested positive for a banned substance in December. That revelation came last week, a day after she had helped lead Russia to a gold medal in the team event.
The skater, Kamila Valieva, 15, has become a face of the Games and is widely seen as the favorite to win the women’s event that begins on Tuesday.