Valieva Skates Into First Place After Olympic Short Program
Feb 15, 2022, 1:22 PM
(Photo by Jean Catuffe/Getty Images)
BEIJING (AP) — Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva, the heavily favored 15-year-old dynamo at the center of the latest Olympic doping scandal, overcame an early mistake to lead after the women’s short program at the Beijing Games on Tuesday night.
She scored 82.16 points to take first place. Her teammate Anna Shcherbakova, the reigning world champion, was second with 80.60 points after a clean program.
Japan’s Kaori Sakamoto was third with 79.89 points while another Russian skater, Alexandra Trusova was fourth with 74.60 after falling on her opening triple axel.
The three Russian women are trying to become the first to sweep the women’s podium in the Olympics.
Kamila Valieva records a score of 82.16 and now holds the lead in women's short program. #WinterOlympics pic.twitter.com/Zsi2gPTs8L
— NBC Olympics (@NBCOlympics) February 15, 2022
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