It should have been one of THE moments of the Winter Olympics.
And actually, it was one of THE moments of the Winter Olympics.
One of THE most regrettable, one of THE most deplorable not just in Winter Olympic history but in Olympic history.
A 15-year-old girl in tears, a 15-year-old girl reduced to a heartbroken figure at the centre of an almost unimaginable doping scandal.
Yes, we have become so accustomed to doping scandals at the Olympics that we now greet most of them with a shrug.
And we have certainly become accustomed to Russian doping scandals.
But this is different, this is stomach-churning.
And so many people - from the International Olympic Committee to the Russian Olympic Committee to her coaches to all those who are supposed to support her to the Court of Arbitration for Sport - should be ashamed of themselves for allowing Kamila Valieva back onto the Beijing ice.
After testing positive for trimetazidine, it seems Valieva - or, more likely, one of the adults that form her entourage - is suggesting the heart drug was being taken by her grandfather and he may have contaminated a glass used by her.
That is a tale that needs full investigation and, while that is happening, Valieva should not be skating, never mind competing for an Olympic gold medal on Thursday.
For her own good, this vulnerable 15-year-old should not be exposed to the world’s critical glare.
And what are her fellow competitors going to feel if Valieva triumphs? The IOC have already said there will be no medal ceremony if the teenager finishes in the top three.
It is a sickening state of affairs.
Valieva, incredible skater that she is, might well win but once again, it is the Olympics and sport that will have lost.
