BEIJING — Representing a country that technically isn’t here, after a performance she shouldn’t have been allowed to give, on her way to a medal she can’t receive, 15-year-old Russian star Kamila Valieva walked past reporters at Capital Indoor Stadium, avoiding questions she couldn't answer. She had skated beautifully, but that isn’t the point. Welcome to the most elegant sham in Olympics history. Only the victims are real.
Valieva’s short program was not perfect, as she nearly fell on her opening jump, a triple axel. But she is in the lead entering Thursday’s free skate, and what is usually a marquee event at any Winter Olympics will now be beyond awkward. Valieva tested positive for trimetazidine, a banned heart medication, and she should not be allowed to compete, but an asinine ruling by the Court for Arbitration in Sport (CAS) means she is eligible. The IOC has decided not to award any medals if Valieva gets one, while it continues to investigate.
Erick W. Rasco/Sports Illustrated
