As Kamila Valieva fell multiple times in Thursday’s free skate program at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, many of the figure skating fans in attendance felt for the 15-year-old.
Under the immense weight of a huge doping scandal, Valieva finished in fourth place in the women’s individual event, while her Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) teammate Anna Shcherbakova captured gold.
Valieva — who was the clear favorite to finish in first place after coming out on top of Tuesday’s short program — broke into tears as she left the ice as the emotion of the past few days appeared to catch up with her.
Loud chants of “Kamila, Kamila, Kamila” came from the stands as a tearful Valieva was consoled by coach Eteri Tutberidze as she made her way off the rink.
Former US Olympic figure skater Polina Edmunds offered her support to Valieva on Twitter.
“Very traumatizing Olympic experience for Kamila Valieva. She should not have been allowed to compete, it’s devastating that she was put in this situation, on all levels.”
Shcherbakova, who was the skater who competed directly before Valieva in the final, said she felt “nervous” watching her teammate skate.
“I watched Kamila but probably did not understand what I was experiencing,” the 17-year-old said. “Of course, I was very nervous for her during the skate because from the very first jump it was clear that the skate is going very hard and I understand perfectly what an athlete feels at those moments.”
Why was Valieva even allowed to compete? The doping controversy was the main talking point as she struggled to maintain her run and penned the next chapter in a story that is certain to rumble on far beyond the Beijing Games.
The Russian figure skater has been at the heart of a doping scandal that can be traced back to December 2021, when the 15-year-old tested positive for the banned heart drug trimetazidine, which experts say can enhance endurance.
Valieva has sought to blame the positive test on contamination from medication taken by her grandfather, an IOC official familiar with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) hearing which cleared Valieva for the rest of the Games said on Tuesday.
However, the test was only analyzed and reported to Russia’s Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) in February, resulting in Valieva’s suspension on February 8.
The suspension came a day after Valieva had helped the ROC to a gold medal victory in the figure skating team event.
Valieva was reinstated after an appeal, and the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) allowed her to compete in the Olympics. CAS said in a statement it had decided Valieva should be allowed to compete due to “exceptional circumstances,” including specific provisions linked to her status as a “protected person” — because she is a minor — under the World Anti-Doping Code.
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