Russian figure skating star, Kamila Valieva has finished in fourth place in the women’s free skating at the Winter Olympics, amid enormous pressure and scrutiny.
15-year-old Valieva, competing for the Russian Olympic Committee, tested positive for a stamina enhancing drug in December. The result of the drug test was not released until after she had begun her Olympic campaign.
Controversially, the Court of Arbitration for Sport allowed Valieva to continue her campaign in Beijing because she was under the age of 16 and considered a “protected person”. A disqualification would have caused “irreparable harm” to a minor, they said.
Valieva told the International Olympic Committee that she had mistakenly been in contact with her grandfather’s heart medication, which contains the banned drug, trimetazidine.
But the women’s free skate program ended in an emotional scene for Valieva, as she uncharacteristically stumbled throughout her routine, falling multiple times.
The teenager broke down into tears moments after the music ended and sobbed as her score was called out.
“Why did you let it go?” her coach, Eteri Tutberidze asked her afterwards in a scene broadcast on live television. “Why did you stop fighting? Explain it to me, why? You let it go after that axel.”
Valieva did not offer a reply to her coach.
In recent months, Valieva has risen to the top of the skating world and has earned a reputation as one of the best in history. Before the Olympics began, she was widely expected take home the gold.
Instead, another Russian skater, 17-year-old Anna Shcherbakova, claimed the gold medal. While another Russian, Alexandra Trusova, won silver.
If Valieva had placed in the top three, the International Olympic Committee had indicated they would not go through with a medal ceremony.
The ceremony itself was overshadowed by air of chaos and emotion as Valieva sat on the sideline and silver medallist Trusova let out her disappointment in a scene captured on camera.
“I hate skating. I hate it. I hate this sport. I will never go out on the ice again. Never! I hate. It’s impossible, it’s impossible,” Trusova screamed.
Later on, she told reporters, “I am not happy with the result. There is no happiness.”
Valieva’s anguish is now a long way from over, with her doping case still under investigation. It was also found that she had two other drugs in her system, legal substances used to improve blood flow.
The doping controversy surrounding Valieva has led to other questions, including whether a minimum age limit should be introduced.
As the scene played out on television, American commentators Tara Lipinski and Johnny Weir spoke about how devastating the situation was for everyone involved.
“The court that ruled to allow Kamila to skate in this competition was worried about the ramifications on her mental health of not competing,” Weir said.
“And I wonder what they are thinking now as to what just happened to Kamila Valieva.”