World

Olympic Skater Who Failed Drug Test Falls Several Times, Misses Podium

Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images

Kay Smythe News and Commentary Writer
Font Size:

Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva has ended her stint at the Winter Olympics in Beijing finishing in fourth place after falling multiple times during the free skate event.

After landing her opening quadruple jump, 15-year-old Valieva stumbled on the triple jump, which led to a series of mistakes that left the crowd gasping in disbelief, according to BBC Sport.

Valieva was widely deemed a prodigy and gold medal favorite after she won gold with her Russian teammates in the figure skating team event. After her mistakes during the free skate, Valieva’s final score was 141.93, leaving her just shy of bronze medal, according to NBC News.

The International Olympic Committee are currently investigating Valieva after it was revealed she tested positive for banned substances in December 2021. She was initially suspended from competing in the 2022 Olympics by the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA), but allowed to compete after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) found she had tested clean at the Olympics. (RELATED: ‘Slap In The Face’: US Olympian Rips Decision To Allow Russian Skater To Compete)

Her Russian teammates Anna Shcherbakova and Alexandra Trusova won gold and silver respectively. Valieva left the ice in tears following her final performance, BBC Sport reported.

Other figure skaters have publicly condemned the decision allowing Valieva to compete, including NBC Olympic figure skating analysts Johnny Weir and Tara Lipinski. “Thank goodness for all the other medalist to have that moment [on the podium],” Lipinski said, to which Weir responded “And to have done it cleanly.”