Russian teen Kamila Valieva was thrown to the wolves at Beijing Winter Olympics, says Katarina Witt

Two-time Winter Olympic champion Katarina Witt has openly wept as she slammed the treatment of 15-year-old Russian Kamila Valieva at the Beijing Games.

The fiasco that was the women’s figure skating event, which also included a meltdown by silver medallist Alexandra Trusova, has drawn condemnation from International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach.

Watch Katarina Witt’s emotional response to Valieva’s treatment in the video above

Watch the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics on Channel 7 and stream it for free on 7plus >>

But the most heartfelt outcry has come from former skaters including Witt and 2014 bronze medallist Ashley Wagner.

Valieva was permitted to contest the women’s individual competition after a provisional doping suspension was lifted but could only finish fourth on Thursday night, having led the short program.

Starting with a two-point advantage after Tuesday’s program, the teenager fell twice and suffered a series of further errors to plunge down the final standings.

Her controversial Beijing campaign ended in tears.

And Valieva’s coach Eteri Tutberidze was heard to say to the youngster, “Why did you let it go? Explain it to me, why? Why did you stop fighting completely? Somewhere after the axel you let it go”, after her performance.

“What has happened now is the very worst,” Witt, who won gold at the 1984 and 1988 Games, said as an analyst on German broadcaster ARD.

“She fell apart because of it.”

Witt was continually fighting off tears herself and at one point asked the editorial team to cut the camera from her.

“This is actually unbearable,” she said.

“She’s a 15-year-old kid and she’s broken from it. She’s really been thrown to the wolves now.

“She was a shadow of her former self when she walked out