Feb 15, 2022 - Sports

Russian Kamila Valieva leads short program in first event since doping ruling

Erin Doherty

Kamila Valieva of Team ROC skates during the Women Single Skating Short Program on day eleven of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games at Capital Indoor Stadium on February 15, 2022 in Beijing, China. — Kamila Valieva skates during the Women Single Skating Short Program at Capital Indoor Stadium on February 15, 2022. Photo: Matthew Stockman/Getty Images

Russian Olympic figure skater Kamila Valieva skated in the women's figure skating short program Tuesday, her first event at the Beijing Winter Olympics since it was revealed she tested positive for a banned drug.

Driving the news: The Court of Arbitration for Sport on Monday ruled that Valieva was allowed to continue competing in the Winter Olympics, but no medals will be handed out if she finishes in the top three.

The CAS panel said that banning Valieva from the Beijing Olympics would cause her "irreparable harm," noting there were "exceptional circumstances" in her case and that she's a minor and, therefore, a "protected person."

The big picture: Valieva skated a mostly clean program, propelling her into first place after the women's short program. Russian Anna Shcherbakov and Japan's Kaori Sakamoto round out the top three heading into the free program.

Valieva is a favorite for the gold.
So far, there has been no ceremony for the team skating event won by Valieva and the Russian team.

What's next: The free program is set for Thursday 5 a.m. ET.

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Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional details following the women's short program.

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Russian Kamila Valieva leads short program in first event since doping ruling

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