大象传媒

Winter Olympics: Kamila Valieva finishes fourth in figure skating final

Valieva.Image source, Getty Images

Russian teenager Kamila Valieva's controversial Winter Olympics ended with a fourth-place finish in the women's figure skating event.

The 15-year-old fell multiple times in the free skate round to miss out on winning a medal.

Russian Olympic Committee's Anna Shcherbakova and Alexandra Trusova claimed gold and silver with Japan's Kaori Sakamoto taking the bronze medal.

Valieva, who made headlines after a court ruled she could compete in Beijing after a failed drugs test, cried while waiting for her score from the judges.

Why was Valieva allowed to compete after a failed drugs test?

Image source, Getty Images
Image caption,

Valieva fells many times during Tuesday's final

Valieva took a drug test in December, but the result was only reported the day after she broke a record with two quadruple jumps to win the team event at the Beijing games.

Despite her victory, medals were not handed out while the situation around her failed drug test was ongoing.

Drug tests check for banned substances and they're used to make sure that sporting competitions are fair.

What is doping?

Athletes' blood and wee are tested by scientists for performance-enhancing drugs, to make sure that sporting competitions are fair.

'Doping' is when athletes are found to have banned drugs in their blood or wee to improve their performance, which gives them an unfair advantage in sport. That's not allowed.

Following the failed test, an urgent hearing was called to decide whether or not she could continue to take part at the Winter Olympic Games.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas) - an organisation which settles sporting arguments - decided that due to "exceptional circumstances" surrounding her case, she could take part.

They said that there was a big gap between the test and the result and also said that she's a protected person because of her age.

They added that banning her from competition could cause the teenager "irreparable harm".

Image source, Getty Images

There have been mixed reactions from her fellow competitors, with some unhappy they were skating against someone who had failed a drugs test and others sorry that a child was caught up in a doping scandal.

大象传媒 commentator and former figure skater, Robin Cousins said: "I am slightly speechless for all the wrong reasons.

"Someone thought having her do that was better than having her go home to her family and to wait and sort this out."

Image source, Getty Images
Image caption,

Another Russian teenager, Anna Shcherbakova came first in the competition

It was two other Russian teenagers in the top two spots at the end of the competition.

Gold medallist, Anna Shcherbakova, who is also the world champion, said she "will not say anything about this situation" around Valieva.

Instead the 17-year-old was trying to able to enjoy own success, saying: "It's hard to say what I'm feeling right now. I still don't comprehend what has happened, I'm overwhelmed by happiness but I also feel an emptiness inside."