Beijing: Russian teenage figure skater Kamila Valieva fell to fourth at the singles women’s competition on Thursday, giving in to the pressure of a doping scandal that has rocked this year’s Beijing Games.
Valerie’s fellow countrymen Anna Shcherbakova claimed the gold medal, Alexandra Trusova took the silver, and smiling Kaori Sakamoto from Japan won the bronze medal.
After sliding into the ice several times, the 15-year-old Valieva made one final forced look to judges. She concealed her face using her hands while she skated toward the exit, her fans screaming, “Molodets!” “Models!” (Bravo, bravo).
The prodigy of skating, a favorite for gold in the Games, had been trying to block out the rumors of a doping scandal following her positive test for a banned drug in the latter part of December. The news of which was only revealed in February. 8 – one day after, she was instrumental in helping to help the Russian Olympic Committee win the team event.
She dressed in the most sparkling black and red dress and shiny Red gloves. She remained cool for thirty seconds before landing her initial four-quadruple Salchow jump.
Then she faltered following the triple Axel, and she had a few uncharacteristic errors in her free-skating routine in the music of Maurice Ravel’s “Bolero.”
As she came to a complete stop, her hand was thrown to the side in a show of anger over the performance, which was nowhere anywhere near her usual high standard.
Instead, she finished almost 50 points lower than her record-setting world record of 224.09.
Shcherbakova took home gold, scoring a total in the range of 255.95 in front of Trusova, who scored 251.73. Sakamoto from Japan scored Sakamoto was a close second with 233.13.
The crowd was in awe; raucous cheers and applause greeted Valieva’s entry on the ice. The crowd chanted her name following her fall, and the shutters of her camera went into high gear.
Valieva was crying within her “kiss and cry” zone following her performance. Her coach Eteri Tutberidze, a trainer for Shcherbakova and Trusova, highlighted the pressure the skaters of their teens are feeling.
“Why did you not let it go? Please explain to me what the reason was? Why did you cease fighting for a while? Then, after the ax, you put it down,” Tutberidze demanded of the angry Valieva.
POOR KID
“This is the time when you must affirm that this is a poor kid. She shouldn’t have been put in this situation,” former U.S. skater Ashley Wagner wrote on Twitter.
“She shouldn’t have been on the ice. She shouldn’t be in a position that she was the subject of a larger issue than her.”
In a high-octane dance routine, Valieva’s teammate Trusova, 2021’s world championships bronze medalist, skated five quads in the beat from “Cruella” along with the Stooges. Then, “I Wanna Be Your Dog” to record the season’s highest scores on free skating of 177.13.
Shcherbakova’s free skating was not as impressive. Still, the world champion was precise when she hit two quads in the early part of her program.
“I’m grateful that I was able to manage my anxiety and anxieties and did my best at the right moment and the right place,” said Shcherbakova; her heart was broken for Valieva.
“Of course, I was worried about her throughout the skate because immediately after the first jump, it was evident that the skate wasn’t performing well. I truly understand how athletes feel during those times.”
Shcherbakova, Trusova, and Sakamoto returned to the podium for the ceremony and stayed in the cold for a few minutes to enjoy the moment they believed was unlikely to occur.
“I was not expecting to be within the top three, so I’m ecstatic,” said a delighted Sakamoto.
The ceremony to award the medals will be held on a Friday, at 45:45 Beijing hour (11:45GMT).
Valieva found herself positive for a heart drug following the championships for nationals in December. 25. Still, the results were not released until February. 8. On Monday, she was finally cleared to participate in the women’s single-event through the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
The skater entered Thursday’s competition as the hottest choice. However, it was widely believed that the medal ceremony could not occur due to the unsolved doping controversy.
Valieva is among the youngest sportspersons to get a positive test during the Olympics and has raised questions regarding the role of the people around her and the ongoing issue of Russian doping in international sports.
