[ad_1]
Russian star Kamila Valieva burst into tears Thursday as she missed out on a medal within the girls’s determine skating after a efficiency stuffed with errors and haunted by the doping saga that has come to dominate the Winter Olympics.
The 15-year-old prodigy and gold medal favourite made a number of errors in her routine, momentarily hitting the ice twice as she missed out on the rostrum.
Valieva positioned fourth within the competitors, which has been engulfed within the scandal surrounding her optimistic drug take a look at earlier than the Video games.
The outcomes signifies that a medal ceremony will happen, as she didn’t place within the high three. Russia’s 2021 world champion Anna Shcherbakova and Alexandra Trusova received gold and silver. Kaori Sakamoto of Japan captured bronze. Medals might be handed out Friday.
After Valieva walked off the ice, cameras captured a number of of the highest opponents in tears as they processed what had occurred.
The “Quad Squad” because the Russian determine skaters are identified had been hoping to make Olympic historical past by pulling off a 1-2-3 sweep of the rostrum but it surely was to not be.
The uncooked emotion made for a dramatic finish to a tumultuous week on and off the ice.
“It makes me indignant that the adults round her weren’t in a position to make higher choices,” mentioned NBC Olympics determine skating analyst Tara Lipinski watching the drama unfold. She added that Valieva “mustn’t have been allowed to skate on this Olympic occasion.”
Two days earlier, Valieva propelled herself into first place within the occasion with a rating of 82.16 for her efficiency to Kirill Richter’s “In Memoriam” within the quick program. For these skaters who make it by way of to the free skate occasion, the outcomes of the competitors are decided by including the 2 scores collectively.
However on a Thursday her rating of 141.93 was not sufficient to seize a medal, not to mention gold. Her last rating was 224.09 in comparison with Shcherbakova’s 255.95.
Following her win, Shcherbakova mentioned she felt an unimaginable happiness that she had accomplished the whole lot she may. “That was my objective,” she mentioned.
She mentioned she had watched Valieva and felt nervous for her from the primary bounce because it was clear issues had been tough. “I perceive completely what an athlete feels at these moments,” she added.
Requested if the eye on Valieva had affected her, she mentioned it had not and he or she had targeting her personal efficiency.
Valieva received gold final week alongside her Russian teammates within the determine skating staff occasion, and was the clear favourite to win gold within the girls’s particular person occasion Thursday earlier than the doping saga unfolded. She stands to lose that medal, nevertheless, if she is discovered to have dedicated a doping offense.
Earlier this week, sport’s high court docket dominated that Valieva may proceed to compete regardless of having examined optimistic for banned coronary heart remedy, trimetazidine. Valieva took the take a look at on Dec. 25 however the end result solely emerged final week, after she turned the primary girl to land a quadruple bounce in Olympic competitors whereas serving to Russian athletes safe staff gold. The USA took silver, Japan bronze and Canada got here in fourth.
The choice to let her skate once more regardless of that revelation has dismayed many athletes and officers world wide.
The case stands out partly as a result of all eyes had been already on Valieva, the determine skating prodigy destined for gold regardless of nonetheless being a minor.
However she’s additionally competing within the shadow of her nation’s previous.
Russia is at present barred from worldwide sports activities competitions from December 2020 by way of the top of this yr resulting from a earlier doping scandal, with its athletes as a substitute competing beneath the banner of the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC).
In its determination Monday, the Courtroom of Arbitration for Sport mentioned Valieva needs to be allowed to proceed on the Beijing Video games whereas anti-doping officers conduct a full investigation — partly as a result of as a minor she is a “protected particular person” topic to completely different guidelines than adults.
The case didn’t determine the destiny of the Olympic gold medal she has received. That problem might be handled in a separate, longer-term investigation led by the Russian Anti-Doping Company, which took the pattern in St. Petersburg, in accordance with The Related Press. The World Anti-Doping Company (WADA) can have the proper to enchantment any ruling by RUSADA, it added.
WADA introduced this week it would examine {the teenager}’s formidable coach and the entourage surrounding her within the lead-up to the Olympics.
Valieva’s presence on the ice has drawn sharp criticism. And earlier this week, she advised that the scrutiny had taken its toll.
She advised Channel One Russia Monday that she was “completely satisfied” however “emotionally drained” following the court docket’s ruling.
The Related Press and David Okay. Li contributed.
[ad_2]
Source link