Kamila Valieva was emotional and dominant in first Olympic 2022 performance since doping scandal

Controversy has swirled around Kamila Valieva for days, but the 15-yea🏅r-old Russian skater twirled her way closer ﷺto another dominant gold medal on Tuesday.

Valieva finished first in the short program w🐈ith a score of 82.16 at the Beijing Olympics, easily earning her qualification into the free skate, in which she will try to secure the singles competition gold medal Thursday. It would be her sꦯecond gold medal of the Olympics, if the medal lasts.

She rec🎶orded a 44.51🍌 technical score and 37.65 component score.

After completing her routine, Valieva broke down in tears before being 🍸embraced by her coach.

Skating to Kirill Richter’s traditional “In Memoriam,” Valieva did not have as flawless a performance as in her Olympic debut in the team competition. She slipped on her triple axel early in her performance, anꦺd🅷 her 82.16 score was her lowest short program score of the season. Valieva did not speak to reporters after her performance.

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On Monday, the Court of Arbitration for Sport rejected an appeal from the International Olympic Committee, the World Anti-Doping Agency and the International Skating Union and deemed Valieva eligible for the women’s individual competition.

Just a day after she powered the ROC to the team event gold medal, Valieva’s positive test for trimetazidine surꦐfaced, though the test occurred six weeks ago. The Russian Anti-Doping Agenc𒀰y claimed it did not receive notification until Feb. 7, when it banned Valieva from continuing to compete.

The ROC ℱsoon lifted that ban, prompting the appeal.

Later Tuesday, said Valieva’s blood sample had three different substances used to treat heart conditions, including trimetazidi꧑ne, which triggered the doping storm. According to the report, which referenced documents submitted at the CAS hearing, Valieva’s sample also contained the heart medications hypoxen and L-Carnitine, which are not on the WADA’s prohibited list.

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On NBC’s broadcast, Johnny Weir and Tara Lipinski expressed their disdain for Valieva competing amid the scandal. During her performance, they seemingly protested Valieva’s participation, with Weir saying, “All I feel I can say is that was the short program of Kamila Valieva at the O📖lympics,” as the only commentary on the perfo🐠rmance.

Valieva enteredౠ the competition, along with🐟 her Russian teammates, as a heavy favorite.

The ROC’s other two competitors, Anna Shcherbakova and Alexandra Trusova, placed second and ℱfourth with scores of 80.20 and 74.60, respectively.

ꦗAfter their dominant short program performances, there is a strong possibility all three Russia꧂ns, who share the same coaches, will sweep the women’s singles medal podium.

Alysa Liu — who at 16 is Team USA’s youngest athlete at the🤪 Games — entered the ice with a huge grin and left with an even bigger one. Skating to “Gypsy Dance” from the ballet “Don Quixote,” Liu earned a 69.50 score — the highest of the three Americans. She finished with a tec🧜hnical score of 36.85 and component score of 32.65.

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In the wake o🥂f her fellow teenage competitor’s scandal, Liu’s father blasted Valieva, pushing back on her treatment as a minor and the ruling’s concern for “irreparable harm.”

“How about the irreparable harm to other clean athletes? You are depriving them,” Arthur Liu previously told The Associated Press. “Alysa has been tested since she was 12 or 13 years old and she knows what she is supposed to take and what she’s not supposed to take. Even when she was a junior, when she was 12, during nationals she got really sick and I didn’t give her any💯 medication because of concerns of doping. I didn’t even give her any medication, she was so🐬 sick.

“She [Valieva] tested positive for a banned drug. What’s not clear about it? She should be out. That is as simple as that. What kind of message are they sending to millions of young boys and girls in sports — particularly figure skaters? That cheaters are allowed to compete in the Olympics, the holies🍃t competition on the planet? It total🧜ly destroys the Olympic spirit.”

Mariah Bell, the reigning U.S. national champion, got off to a shaky start in her long-awaited Olympic debut. She fell on her second jump, a triple-🔯triple during her opening combination. At 25, Bell is the oldest American singles skater at the Olympics since 1928.

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The Oklahoma native collected herself, however, and earned qualification with a 65.38 score and 11th-place finish. Bell had a technical score of 33.43 and component score ofꦿ 32.95, with the fall docking her a point.

Bell’s trainer — former American figure skater Adam Rippon — also ripped the decision to allow V🦹alieva to compete🃏 prior to the free skate.

“Dirty cheaters, an💦d we are accommodating them,” Riꦍppon said. “I don’t know how the Olympics recovers from this.”

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American Karen Chen’s 64.11 score earned hꦅer ♛13th place.

In its decision, the Court of Arbitration for Sport announced that the medal ceremony, if Valieva captures a top-three spot, will be delayed until 𒆙after her case is resolved, as will the team medal ceꦡremony.

The top 25 of the 30 short program skaters advanced to the free skate, where that score will be added to determine the wom🌠en’s singles medal winners.

Usually, only the top 24💟 skaters 𓄧advance to the free skate, but 25 are going this year due to Valieva’s possible ineligibility.