Winter Olympics: ‘Lived a lifetime in the last week’ – Kamila Valieva praised after topping short program

Updated 15/02/2022 at 16:32 GMT

Kamila Valieva produced a mesmerising display to finish top of the short program standings at the Winter Olympics. Although the 15-year-old stumbled with her first jump, a triple axel, she recovered to set the target ahead of Thursday’s free skate. She was only cleared to compete on Monday after testing positive for trimetazidine. There will be no medal ceremony if she finishes on the podium.

'Imagine what she's been through' - Valieva produces 'beautiful' performance

Kamila Valieva shouldered immense pressure to post the leading score in the short program in the women’s singles at Beijing 2022.

The spotlight was fixed on the 15-year-old Russian after she tested positive for a banned heart drug last week – barely 48 hours after she had helped ROC to team gold.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) cleared Valieva to compete on Monday after protests from the International Olympic Committee (IOC), World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the International Skating Union (ISU).

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Back on the ice, an emotional Valieva topped the standings with 82.16 to lead going into Thursday’s free skate despite a little stumble attempting a triple axel.

“Just beautiful. No she didn’t land the triple axel but there was so much there that reminded us of what a sensational skater she is,” said Simon Reed on Eurosport commentary.

“No wonder the emotion. Can you just imagine what she’s been through. And all through it just remember, she is just 15.”

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He added: “Not a flicker of the sign of what she’s been through… she’s lived a lifetime in the last week. We were saying at the Europeans [which Valieva won in January] that her life was a movie, it’s a few movies now.”

Valieva leads Russian team-mate Anna Shcherbakova by 1.96 points, with Japan’s Kaori Sakamoto third ahead of Thursday’s free skate.

“The thing is the mistake wasn’t that critical because she made the rotation on the triple axel, she was completely off axis,” added former Olympian Chris Howarth on Eurosport commentary.

“She did mighty well to find the right foot, put a turn on the way out, stepped out of it.

“But everything else, positive GOE [grade of execution], ticked all the boxes, she got all the levels. Brilliant.”

CAS ruled that the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) was correct to lift Valieva’s provisional suspension. The ruling specifically related to whether she can compete at the Games, with a further decision on whether she is in breach of doping regulations to be taken at a later date.

The decision has been met with incredulity, with Team USA chief Sarah Hirshland accusing Russia of a “systemic and pervasive disregard for clean sport”.

The IOC has already announced there will be no medal ceremonies for events where Valieva finishes on the podium.