NEW YORK – In a show of mistrust for the way that Russian officials are handling the doping case of Kamila Valieva, the figure skating star from the Beijing Games, the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) has wrested the case from them and filed an appeal directly to the highest court in sports.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) now will determine how, or if, Valieva should be punished for testing positive for a banned heart drug weeks before the 2022 Winter Olympics.

Valieva, then 15, had come to Beijing as the clear favourite to win the individual gold medal in women’s singles. Amid the chaos of her positive test, she finished fourth, although she also led the Russians to gold in the team competition.

The Russian anti-doping agency, Rusada, had been dealing with Valieva’s doping case since February, but no decision had been made even though Olympic medals were at stake.

The team medals were never awarded, and the awards ceremony was postponed indefinitely. The United States finished second in the team event, and Japan were third.

If the CAS decided to strip Russia of their team gold medal, the US would be awarded the gold and Canada the bronze.

Witold Banka, president of Wada, had warned the Russians to finish Valieva’s case, but to no avail. On Tuesday, he followed through with his threat to force the case to move along in the system.

“Despite putting Rusada under formal notice to resolve the Kamila Valieva case promptly, no progress was made,” he said.

“Therefore, I can confirm Wada has now officially referred it directly to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.”

Rusada said in recent weeks that it would not make public any information on the case and that it would not even divulge when it would finish its phase of the matter, prompting outcry from the Olympic community.

The rules for Wada say that it could appeal any decision Rusada makes. But in the absence of a Rusada decision, Wada officials hurried that process along, an action met with the cheers of many in the anti-doping movement.

Travis Tygart, chief executive officer of the US Anti-Doping Agency, said on Tuesday that Wada’s move was an indication that the public cannot trust the Russians to handle the case fairly.

“Finally, some progress,” he said.

“It’s a fairly straightforward case but at this rate, we can only hope the athletes waiting for their medals finally get their ceremony at the Paris Olympic Games, if they choose.”

Wada’s bold move does not mean that a conclusion in the case will come quickly. Cases that reach the CAS can linger there for months before a ruling. But once a ruling is made, it is considered final. NYTIMES