Figure skating is a sport in which individuals, pairs, or groups perform on figure skates on ice. It was the first winter sport to be included in the Olympic Games, when contested at the 1908 Olympics in London.
Figure Skating: Russian controversy| Roc doping| Medal ceremony
Russian controversy:
All eyes had been on Valieva, who was in pole position after topping the short programme on Tuesday and had been expected to add the singles title to the team crown she led Russia to before the doping controversy erupted.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) had said that for the first time in Olympic history, no medals would be awarded if Valieva finished in the top three because she could yet be punished for taking the banned substance trimetazidine.
Roc Doping:
It was the latest chapter in a saga which began when a sample from 25 December tested positive for trimetazidine, a drug used to treat angina but which is banned for athletes by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) because it can boost endurance.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruled during the Games that Valieva could continue to skate in the Olympics, but it did not absolve her of doping and the investigation looks set to rumble on well after the action ends in Beijing.
There will be no medal ceremony during these Games for the team event because of Valieva’s involvement.
Medal Ceremony:
The women’s singles figure skating medalists will have a medal ceremony, which was up in the air heading into the free skate due to leader Kamila Valieva.
But on Thursday morning (Eastern), the controversy-shrouded Valieva had an uncharacteristically rough skate, falling and slipping multiple times. Her free skate score — despite a first-place short program — was not enough to land her on the podium.
Valieva’s Russian Olympic Committee teammate Anna Shcherbakova won the gold medal with a final score of 255.95. The silver went to ROC’s Alexandra Trusova with 251.73, and the bronze medal to Kaori Sakamoto. America’s three skaters finished in seventh, 10th and 16th.
