Running last thanks to her placing in the previous stage, her hopes of winning the gold medal were still very much alive, despite the stunning performances her compatriots Anna Shcherbakova and Alexandra Trusova put in before her.
To the tunes of Bolero, de Ravel, Valieva started her program strong with a quadruple salchow. But things quickly got out of hand for the 15-year-old. A triple axel followed, the exit of which was missed, as well as a failed combination of a quadruple toe loop and a triple toe loop.
If the odds of securing at most a podium place had drastically diminished, they were dashed when Valieva failed in the execution of two more combinations.
Sadness and disappointment immediately flooded the teenager’s face after she finished her routine, to the cheers of the onlookers.
The jury, which had awarded her 82.16 points for her short program, severely penalized her on the technical level and on the general performance. Her total of 224.09 points for the whole competition relegated her to the foot of the podium.
Kamila Valieva had been cleared earlier this week by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to take part in the individual eventdespite a positive doping test last December, but whose result was not known until February 8.
His compatriots Anna Shcherbakova and Alexandra Trusova, as well as the Japanese Kaori Sakamoto were entitled to a flower ceremony and will be able to receive their medal.
In response to the CAS decision, the International Olympic Committee decided not to put it back if Valieva got on the podium until the light is shed on his case.
Schizas finishes 19th
Canadian Madeline Schizas also struggled in her free program, performed to the notes of Madame Butterflyby Giacomo Puccini.
She missed a triple salchow, as well as the combination of a triple loop, followed by two double toe loops, which lost her technical points.
The 19-year-old skater, however, landed a triple lutz, chained with a triple toe loop, a combination that had caused her problems in the short program.
The judges gave him 115.03 points for his performance. She finished 19th overall.
Canadian Madeline Schizas will not be on the podium
Photo : Getty Images / Catherine Ivill
I did the combination I missed yesterday, and I’m really happy with it. But there are still mistakes I made today that I don’t make in training. I’m not so happy, but I’m proud of the resilience I showed today. And I know I’m learning a lot too
she mentioned.
« It’s a new experience for me to do two competitions in one week. And it’s always difficult. I am learning a lot and I think that in four years I will make other decisions than those I made here to improve my performance in the individual event. »
The Ontarian said she enjoyed her participation in the mixed team event, where she performed well, due to the team spirit of the Canadian squad.
Among the other notable performances of the day, that of the Polish Ekaterina Kurakova. His free program seduced the judges who awarded him 126.76 points. This score allowed him to keep the 1st provisional rank for a good while.
After placing 24th in the short program, she finished in 12th place.
Poland’s Ekaterina Kurakova drops from 24th to 12th
Photo : Getty Images / Matthew Stockman