IOC's Dick Pound says decision to allow Russian skater to compete is 'safest,' 'fairest' way to handle it

Canada's Richard Pound, a senior member of the International Olympic Committee, said the decision to allow Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva to continue at the Beijing Olympics despite a positive drug test is "messy" but fair.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport cleared Valieva to skate after a hearing on Sunday.  A panel of judges ruled that the 15-year-old Valieva, the favourite for the women's individual gold, does not need to be provisionally suspended ahead of a full investigation.

The court gave her a favourable decision in part because she is a minor, known in Olympic jargon as a "protected person," and is subject to different rules from an adult athlete.

"It's sort of messy but I think in the end, it's probably the safest and the fairest way of dealing with this," Pound told CBC Sports on The Extra Hour show. "It hasn't been determined whether or not it's a full-blown positive, until that happens. It would be wrong to penalize her and probably wrong to keep her from competing because she hasn't actually got a positive test."

Valieva tested positive for the heart drug trimetazidine on Dec. 25 at the Russian nationals, but the result from a Swedish lab didn't come to light until a week ago, after she helped the Russian Olympic Committee win the team gold. A second sample, or B sample, will now be analyzed before a final determination is made.

As part of the ruling, the IOC said there would be no medal ceremony for the team event, nor for the upcoming women's singles if she finishes in the top three.

Pound admitted that is disappointing for the athletes.

"On the day, it's a big deal. The IOC is conscious of that and as you could see in its statement, we'll find a way to give the final medallists their due and the ceremony that will be, not the same as race day or game day, but appropriate," said Pound, an Olympic swimmer for Canada at the 1960 Games in Rome.

WATCH | Kamila Valieva cleared by CAS to continue competition in Beijing:

If it's ruled Valieva is ineligible, Russia would be disqualified from the team event, bumping Canada up from fourth to the bronze medal position, with the U.S. moving into top spot and Japan getting the silver medal.

"There will be no harm done if it turns out she does test positive and they take away the team medal and take away any other medal she's going to win," Pound said. "But if we boot her out, and it turns out it's not really a positive, then we're in deep water and we will have been responsible [for] what would turn out to be a real injustice.

"It's messy and frustrating for her fellow competitors but I think we need to have confidence in the system that we've worked out in the last 20-odd years."

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The decision has caused outrage among some former and current athletes as well, including former Canadian figure skater Meagan Duhamel.