Kamila Valieva, the Russian figure skater, returned to competition last weekend for the first time in four years, earning sixth place in the semi-finals at the Russian Jumping Championships.
At just 15, Valieva faced a four-year suspension due to her involvement in a doping scandal that significantly impacted the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.
Now 19, she attempted a comeback and managed to land a challenging quadruple toe loop, but unfortunately made an error during the landing. According to Reuters, she faced further challenges, including a fall while attempting a double flip and triple Salchow combination.
The jumping championships differ from regular skating events, giving participants 90 seconds to showcase their jumps, accompanied by standard background music.
This event marked Valieva’s first return since the controversy at the 2022 Olympics, where the Russian team lost their gold medal following a positive drug test.
The test, conducted months before the Winter Games, showed traces of trimetazidine, a substance banned for treating chest pain linked to restricted blood flow to the heart.
As a result of her disqualification in team events, she saw American athletes take home the gold medal, although she did compete in the women’s event later, finishing fourth.
Unfortunately for Valieva, she won’t qualify for the Milan-Cortina Olympics, meaning she may have to wait until 2030 for another chance on the world stage.
Despite a challenging legal battle to overturn her suspension, including an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, the four-year ban stood firm.
Fans warmly welcomed her back, displaying signs that read “Wait” and tossing stuffed animals onto the ice. “I love this sport and I’m very happy to be here,” Valieva shared with state television.
