Beijing 2022: Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva dominates short program at Winter Olympics
Feb 16, 2022
Beijing [China], February 16 : The 15-year-old Russia's Kamila Valieva skated to a score of 82.16 in the women's short program at the ongoing Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics on Tuesday, taking the lead into Thursday's free skate.
The results of Valieva, who, according to a CAS decision, will continue to participate in the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022, are provisional since there are pending proceedings with regard to the results of an anti-doping test of the athlete.
Valieva leads the way at the Capital Indoor Stadium ahead of reigning world champion and compatriot Anna Shcherbakova (80.20) and two-time Olympian Sakamoto Kaori of Japan in third (79.84).
Reigning world bronze medallist Alexandra Trusova of the ROC follows in fourth (74.60), while another Japanese skater, Higuchi Wakaba, sits in fifth (73.51).
Earlier in the evening, Higuchi became just the fifth female skater in Olympic history to successfully land a triple Axel. Youth Olympic Games Lausanne 2020 champion You Young of South Korea rounds out the top six with a 70.34.