Kamila Valieva and the 2 different Russian determine skaters on the high of the ladies's particular person competitors standings on the Beijing Video games on Thursday "crumbled in their very own means" whereas experiencing a "wildly unhealthy" teaching type after the outcomes had been introduced, mentioned Ashley Wagner, a commentator and former U.S. Olympic determine skater.
After fellow Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) skaters Anna Shcherbakova and Alexandra Trusova completed in first and second place, respectively, Valieva was seen sobbing and later walked silently previous reporters with a masks over her face.
Valieva, 15, who was on the middle of a doping controversy and broadly favored to win the person occasion, took fourth place behind her teammates and Japan's Kaori Sakamoto.
Trusova additionally broke down in tears and initially refused to even step onto the rostrum for the ceremony, whereas Shcherbakova informed reporters she was comfortable along with her efficiency but additionally felt "this vacancy inside."
"And it is chaos in every single place, and also you simply see how this strain cooker of an setting that these younger ladies have been put in is so insanely unhealthy," Wagner mentioned. "Every of them had a special response and every of them crumbled in their very own means. Shcherbakova—that is her Olympic gold medal, and he or she's standing by herself with a teddy bear. I'll always remember that second as a result of it was simply unhappy."
Wagner spoke in regards to the emotional aftermath of the competitors throughout USA Community's Olympics protection.
Regardless of going into the lengthy program on Thursday with the highest rating from the quick program, Valieva gave a shaky efficiency. She fell twice, stumbled and slipped, incomes a rating of 141.93 within the free skate, which was added to her quick program rating of 82.16 for a last tally of 224.09.
Wagner mentioned that proper after she received off the ice, Valieva's coach, Eteri Tutberidze, "instantly began asking her why she threw that away."
She mentioned that the issues Valieva's coaches mentioned "speaks to how wildly unhealthy that teaching camp is."
Wagner additionally mentioned that Valieva's efficiency was "inevitable" and that she did not want to listen to corrections and destructive feedback from her coaches proper when she stepped off the ice.
Whereas many have criticized the choice to permit Valieva to compete within the particular person occasion regardless of her constructive take a look at for a banned coronary heart treatment, the skater has obtained an outpouring of help from individuals anxious in regards to the influence of the high-pressure scenario on somebody so younger.
Some have additionally alleged that coaches and different adults like Tutberidze, whom some have mentioned has a harsh instructing type, had been chargeable for the treatment's presence in her system.
Wagner famous the impacts the doping scandal will probably have on Valieva's profession sooner or later, and mentioned that "the tragedy right here is that we are going to by no means understand how good she actually is." She was put into the scenario "by so many adults who've failed her" after which turned "the one one who carried that weight, not the adults who put her in that place," Wagner mentioned.
Wagner additionally spoke about seeing Shcherbakova after she had simply been named Olympic champion.
"She's by herself. Her teaching crew has left to both go console Kamila or go assist out her teammate, Alexandra Trusova, who's screaming that she should not have been in second place," Wagner mentioned.
In what Trusova later described as an "emotional" second, she shouted "I hate this sport" along with the rink and added that she "will not go onto the ice once more," the Related Press reported. She later mentioned that her outburst was a results of lacking her household and canine however didn't say that she would compete on the world championships subsequent month.
Careers of Russian skaters are sometimes very quick, a lot in order that 17-year-old Shcherbakova was virtually instantly requested whether or not she would retire after securing the gold medal Thursday, AP reported. No lady who has been coached by Tutberidze has ever had a protracted sufficient elite skating profession to turn into a two-time Olympian, in response to AP.
Wagner mentioned that this underscores the significance of treating individuals like Valieva as "people first, athletes second," including that it is not good for athletes "to be handled like they're disposable."
Replace 2/17/22, 3:35 p.m. ET: This story has been up to date with further data and background.
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