who is at the center of the latest Olympic doping scandal, appeared to finally get to her Tuesday night. Despite an incredible performance by the standards of just about anyone else, Valieva could hardly hold it together while she awaited her scores.She wound up earning 82.16 points, more than eight off her own world record, but more than enough to top teammates Anna Shcherbakova and Alexandra Trusova as they go for a Russian sweep of the podium.Valieva did not speak afterward, walking through the mix zone of reporters in stoic silence.
The Russian Olympic Committee also declined to bring her to the news conference, which is required only for medal rounds, and when asked about the scandal, Scherbakova said: "I will not say anything about this situation.""Whether it is fair, I am not quite sure," said Japan's Kaori Sakamoto, who sits in third place. "I would like to refrain from answering that question.
Right now I would just like to focus on my own performance."FILE - Kamila Valieva of Team ROC reacts after skating during the Women Single Skating Short Program on day eleven of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games at Capital Indoor Stadium on Feb.
15, 2022 in Beijing, China. Shcherbakova, the reigning world champion, was second with 80.60 points after a clean program. Sakamoto's score of 79.89 points broke up the "Quad Squad" with Trusova, who fell on her opening triple axel, in fourth with 74.60."I think that everything was like always, like every competition," Shcherbakova said.