Kamila Valieva skated to Kirill Richter’s “In Memoriam” throughout her controversial brief program run, however the silence all through her efficiency was deafening.
The 15-year-old Russian determine skater, who on Monday was dominated eligible for the 2022 Olympics ladies’s singles competitors after a constructive drug check surfaced final week, completed first within the brief program with a rating of 82.16. Many — together with her opponents and their groups — have criticized the choice, made by the Courtroom of Arbitration for Sport, to let her proceed to compete as a full investigation into her constructive check unfolds.
NBC’s determine skating broadcast staff, comprised of former American Olympic skaters Johnny Weir and Tara Lipinski, was no completely different. Seemingly in protest of Valieva’s participation, the printed was practically silent whereas Valieva was on the ice, solely providing a few feedback on her efficiency.
“All I really feel I can say is that was the brief program of Kamila Valieva on the Olympics,” Weir mentioned bluntly as Valieva bowed to the viewers.
“She had a constructive check. We should always not have seen this skate,” Lipinski added.
Within the lead-up and aftermath of Valieva’s efficiency, nevertheless, Weir and Lipinski had been vocal about their displeasure with Valieva’s ruling.
Weir, who competed in two Olympics, apologized that Valieva’s doping scandal was “overshadowing your Olympics.” He beforehand mentioned the controversy made him uncomfortable asserting the competitors, calling it a “slap within the face to each different skater on this occasion.”
“With all of this information I simply, I really feel so uncomfortable as a skater and as a skating fan even having to commentate her efficiency just because she shouldn't be capable of compete on this competitors,” Weir mentioned.
These emotions endured after Valieva’s efficiency Tuesday.
“That was the toughest occasion that I’ve ever needed to cowl,” Weir mentioned in a video he posted on Twitter after the brief program concluded. “And I wish to thanks all for supporting the skaters that ought to be on this competitors, whose life work is on the road. Thanks.”
Lipinski, who at 15 — the identical age as Valieva — turned the youngest determine skater to win a gold medal in 1998, steered Valieva’s participation tarnished the remainder of the competitors.
“It’s not nearly her skating or not skating,” Lipinski mentioned. “It’s affecting everybody at these Olympic Video games to assume that there's going to be no medal ceremony within the girls occasion if she’s on the rostrum. It’s otherworldly to me. I can’t even comprehend that. Think about how that’s affecting so many different skaters’ lives and their Olympic experiences.
“It makes you query every thing. These skaters hand over their lives for this second, to get to this place. Why?”
Valieva’s first-place end certified her for the free skate on Thursday, the place she appears to construct on at this time’s dominant efficiency to seize her second gold medal of the 2022 Olympics.
Within the possible situation she does take house a medal, nevertheless, there might be no medal ceremony: The official recognition might be postponed till a full investigation yields its findings.
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