'I hate this sport': Tears, anger accompany medals for Russian figure skaters

The gold medallist said she felt empty. The silver medallist pledged never to skate again. The favourite left in tears without saying a word.

Her Olympics and life turned upside down by a doping case, world record holder Kamila Valieva faces a possible ban and a coach whose first response to her disastrous skate Thursday was criticism.

"Why did you let it go? Why did you stop fighting?" cameras caught Eteri Tutberidze — the notoriously strict coach who will be investigated over Valieva's failed drug test — telling the 15-year-old after she fell twice and dropped out of medal contention.

As Valieva placed fourth and left in tears, she received a message of support from 2018 silver medallist Evgenia Medvedeva.

WATCH | Valieva falters, finishes 4th:

"I am so happy that this hell is over for you," Medvedeva posted on Instagram. "I really value you and love you and I'm happy that you can relax now, little kitten. I congratulate you on the end of the Olympics and I hope that you can live calmly and breathe."

Unfortunately for Valieva, she can't relax just yet. The failed drug test which turned her life upside down still hangs over her head.

While she was allowed to keep skating in Beijing by the Court of Arbitration for Sport to avoid "irreparable harm," that ruling is valid only until a full investigation of her Dec. 25 test for the banned substance trimetazidine is resolved. The case could take months and still cost Valieva and her Russian teammates the gold medal they won in last week's team event.

Runner-up Alexandra Trusova was also in despair after her history-making five quadruple jumps proved not enough to beat teammate Anna Shcherbakova to the gold medal. "I hate this sport," she shouted at the side of the rink. "I