The 15 year old Russian figure skating star, Kamila Valieva, has faced intense scrutiny in her Olympics run after she tested positive for a banned drug in December.
Valieva was Russia’s most prominent competitor in the Olympics this year, and she was favored for gold medals in all of her skating events. In her first performance at the Olympics, Valieva set multiple records, scoring the highest score ever in a free skate, and securing a gold medal for the Russian team.
In her groundbreaking routine, Valieva landed two quad jumps, something that has never been achieved by any other skater in history. Her grace and effortless elegance on the ice immediately established her as one of the greatest athletes at the Olympics, and her youth makes her feats even more impressive. However, her merit and rightful claim to the gold medal were called into question.
The World Anti-Doping Agency and the International Testing Agency announced her positive test for the banned substance, Trimetazidine (TMZ) on February 7. Trimetazidine is a heart medication that affects the metabolism of the user, potentially making their heart able to perform at a higher rate for longer.
Valieva’s positive result was announced after her first performance at the Olympics, even though she originally took the test in December. This delay aroused questions about the ROC’s doping procedure and their attempts to hide the results of Valieva’s test. Additionally, there were calls to prohibit Valieva from further performances in the 2022 Beijing olympics.
On February 8, shortly after her gold medal-winning performance, Valieva was suspended from the Olympics, only to have her suspension reversed the next day. On February 14, she was officially cleared to perform in the individual figure skating competition on February 17, creating much controversy and dismay among other olympic athletes.
Many people have compared Valieva’s situation to that of Sha’Carri Richardson, who was banned from competing in the summer Olympics after a positive THC drug test. Richardson was predicted to place top 3 in the 100 meter sprinting event, but her drug test one month before the games ended her 2021 Olympic prospects. In a tweet, Richardson pointed to the fact that she is a young black woman and Valieva is white, calling out double standards of anti-doping procedures.
Even with her suspension reversed, a full investigation is still likely, and as punishment, there would be no medal ceremony for Valieva if she had placed in three.
Due her exceptional first performance, Valieva was expected to win gold in the individual event and had even been dubbed the world’s greatest skater because of her incredible score, but during her performance, the strain from her doping controversy became evident, and she placed fourth.
Throughout her set, she fell multiple times, stumbling on jumps that she had performed effortlessly only days before. Valieva left the rink by giving a defeated wave and crying with her head held low, contrasting the beaming smiles and graceful exits she displayed after her previous Olympic performances.
Anna Shcherbakova, a 17-year old ROC member won gold, Alexandra Trusova, also of the ROC team won silver, and Kaori Sakamoto from Japan won bronze. Sakamoto was seen crying tears of joy after her incredible performance, receiving congratulations from her teammates and trainers. However, on the ROC team the happiness from the 1st and 2nd place wins were dimmed by the disappointment from Valieva’s 4th place upset.
“I was feeling a lot of pleasure because I happened to be in the right time and the right place and did the right things,” said Shcherbakova in a New York Times article. “On the other hand, I feel this emptiness inside.”
