Russian determine skater Kamila Valieva broke down in tears and was met with rousing cheers after her efficiency within the ladies's particular person quick program on the 2022 Beijing Olympics.

The efficiency by the skater—who's 15 years outdated and has been favored to win gold—has been broadly anticipated after she examined optimistic for a banned coronary heart remedy because the Olympics had been already underway.

Valieva scored excessive sufficient within the particular person occasion to take the lead, TheNew York Occasionsreported. Her rating of 82.16 within the quick program places her in first place as she waits to compete within the lengthy program, or free skate, on Thursday.

Nonetheless, if she does win a medal as anticipated, the Worldwide Olympic Committee (IOC) introduced Monday that it might not maintain a medal ceremony. Some consultants consider the choice to forgo the ceremony often is the IOC's try to go away the door open for doubtlessly stripping these medals from Valieva sooner or later after a doping investigation.

Valieva Cries
Kamila Valieva of Crew ROC reacts after skating through the Ladies Single Skating Brief Program on day eleven of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Video games at Capital Indoor Stadium on February 15, 2022 in Beijing, China.Harry How/Getty Photos

Regardless of stumbling on her triple axel, Valieva was nonetheless in a position to beat out the opposite rivals in the long run. She and fellow Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) skaters Anna Shcherbakova and Alexandra Trusova almost dominated all the high three spots. Japanese skater Kaori Sakamoto, nonetheless, edged Trusova out together with her rating of 79.84.

Shcherbakova completed in second place with 80.20, per the Occasions. The scores from the lengthy and quick packages can be added collectively for the ultimate tallies that may resolve who wins the medals.

The Russian delegation who watched Valieva's efficiency gave her a standing ovation, however few different athletes confirmed any response after she completed her program, the Occasions reported.

Whereas many have expressed assist for Valieva amid the doping scandal and outrage at her coaches, who some accuse of being answerable for the Russian determine skater's optimistic drug check, the choice to let her compete within the particular person occasion has been broadly criticized.

Former Olympians Tara Lipinski and Johnny Weir, who at present present commentary for NBC's determine skating protection, each condemned the transfer.

In an interview that aired through the community's primetime Olympics protection on Sunday after the Tremendous Bowl, Weir referred to as it a "slap within the face to the Olympic Video games, to our sport, and to each athlete that is ever competed on the Olympics clear."

Lipinski tweeted Monday that "there isn't a query in my thoughts that she shouldn't be allowed to compete" due to the optimistic drug check.

Valieva examined optimistic for trimetazidine, a banned coronary heart remedy that may increase blood stream and endurance. The pattern that contained the drug was taken from Valieva on December 25, however the outcomes didn't come again till the Olympics had been underway for days and Valieva had already helped lead the ROC determine skating group to gold within the group occasion.

Replace 2/15/22, 10:10 a.m. ET: This story has been up to date with further data and background.