Russian Olympic Committee Figure Skater Kamila Valieva Fails to Medal in Individual Figure Skating

It marked the end of Olympic competition for her in Beijing.

Russian Olympic Committee figure skater Kamila Valieva failed to medal in Thursday’s women’s individual figure skating competition after she suffered a series of stumbles during her free skate program.

Valieva had entered Thursday’s program the favorite in the event, after finishing first in the short skate. But she was knocked off the podium as a result of her mistakes.

It marked the end of Olympic competition for Valieva in Beijing, concluding a Games in which her eligibility had been called into question. 

On Dec. 25, a sample from Valieva was taken during the 2022 Russian Figure Skating Championship in St. Petersburg, Russia. The test results, released on Feb. 8, found traces of “an Adverse Analytical Finding for the non-specified prohibited substance trimetazidine.”

With Kamila Valieva’s Failed Drug Test, The IOC’s System Failed Once Again

The 15-year-old was provisionally suspended, but Valieva challenged it on Feb. 9. The Russian Anti-Doping Agency lifted her suspension the next day, and the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) earlier in the week ruled she does not need to be provisionally suspended ahead of an investigation. Because Valieva is a minor and a “protected person,” she is subject to different rules. 

The IOC had determined it would not have a medal ceremony for competitions involving Valieva.

ROC teammates Anna Shcherbakova and Alexandra Trusova took home the gold and silver medals, respectively, in Thursday’s competition. Japan’s Kaori Sakamoto held onto the bronze medal.