Winter Olympics: Tearful Kamila Valieva cheered as she tops figure skating leaderboard

Kamila Valieva was cheered on as she returned to the ice at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, just days after it was found she had failed a drugs test in December.

It was revealed last week that Valieva had tested positive for banned substance trimetazidine at last year’s Russian Figure Skating Championships in Saint Petersburg.

The sample was only analysed by a World Anti-Doping Agency-accredited laboratory on February 8th, however, after Valieva had already helped Russia to a gold medal in the team figure skating event.

The 15-year-old was handed a provisional suspension, but this was lifted by the Russian Anti-Doping Agency after she challenged the decision.

The International Olympic Committee and the World Anti-Doping Agency subsequently launched an appeal, challenging RUSADA’s decision to lift the suspension.

But the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled that Valieva’s “exceptional circumstances” meant she should not be provisionally banned, allowing her to compete in today’s figure skating event.

Valieva topped the leaderboard in the women’s short programme, scoring 82.16 points after a two-minute 40-second routine.

She stumbled on a jump and was visibly emotional at the end of the routine, when she was cheered on by the crowd at the Capital Indoor Stadium in Beijing.

There were no spectators allowed into the venue due to COVID-19 regulations, but the seats were still full of athletes, their entourages and members of family.

Valieva was also cheered as her name was announced before the competition began.

15-year-old Kamila Valieva is in tears as her routine comes to an end.She's awarded 82.16 by the judges giving her a huge lead at the top of the standings.#FigureSkating#BBCOlympics #Beijing2022