Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) Camilla Balieva covers her face after performing in the women’s single short event in figure skating at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics at the Capital Indoor Stadium in Beijing, China, on the 15th. Beijing (China) = Reporter Park Jong-min
Camilla Balieva (Russian Olympic Committee, ROC), the protagonist of the doping controversy, who said, “I am in good shape, but my mind is exhausted,” took first place in the short program with her overwhelming skills.
In the women’s single short program in figure skating at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics held at the Capital Indoor Stadium in Beijing, China on the afternoon of the 15th, Balieva recorded a total of 82.16 points with 44.51 points in technique (TES) and 37.65 points in art (PCS), totaling 30 athletes. climbed to 1st place
As a result, Balieva, who has secured the free skating qualification given to the top 24 athletes, will challenge for the Olympic medal on the 17th.
Baliyeva is considered to be the best player in the world even at the age of 16, and is the strongest contender for the championship.
However, due to the doping controversy, the final decision was made one day before the short program event.
Balieva tested positive for a banned substance in a doping test conducted at the Russian Championships in December last year.
The result was notified to the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) the day after ROC won the gold medal in the figure skating team event.
RUSADA sanctioned Balieva from disqualification and then withdrew it. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) strongly objected to this. But the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) sided with her Balieva. Athletes embroiled in doping controversies have been recognized for their Olympic qualifications.
While numerous sports stars, including ‘figure skating queen’ Yuna Kim, expressed regret at CAS’s decision, Balieva, who stood on the silver board, made a mistake in the landing process after the triple axel jump in the beginning, but overall, she showed off her acting flawlessly.
After finishing the performance, Balieva covered her face with her hands and wiped away her tears for a moment. After she checked her score, she waved her hand towards the TV camera and smiled lightly.
Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) Camilla Balieva performs during the women’s single short event in figure skating at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics held at the Capital Indoor Stadium in Beijing, China, on the 15th. Beijing (China) = Reporter Park Jong-min
On the other hand, many athletes responded to the question of the Olympic News Service regarding Balieva’s participation, saying, “I will focus on my acting,” but some expressed dissatisfaction and dissatisfaction with the decision of CAS.
Eva-Rota Kivus (Estonia) raised her voice, saying, “A player who has tested positive for a prohibited substance will enter the game? This is not the case.”
Maria Bell (USA) said, “It is unfortunate that this happened at the Olympics. I have supported and will continue to support the principle that sports should be clean.”
The IOC protested against the decision of CAS and announced that it would not hold the women’s singles figure skating awards ceremony if Balieva wins a medal.
The International Skating Union (ISU) has decided to grant the opportunity to participate in free skating even if Balieva is included in the top 24 (30 in total) for free skating.
Both the IOC and the ISU intend to treat Balieva like an ‘invisible man’ until the doping allegations are clear.
Eliska Brezhinova (Czech Republic) said, “I have nothing to say (about Balieva’s qualifications), but I’m happy to have one additional athlete advance to the free skating.”
Jenny Saarinen (Finland), with a total score of 56.97, was confirmed to participate in the free skating in 25th place.