Johnny Weir, Tara Lipinski react to Kamila Valieva Olympics fall

Johnny Weir, Tara Lipinski react to Kamila Valieva Olympics fall

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Figure-skating commentators Tara Lipinski and Johnny Weir couldn’t hide their relief after suspected doping cheat, Kamila Valieva of the Russian Olympic Committee, stunningly plummeted from gold-medal favorite to fourth place in the women’s free skate event on Thursday. 

As the 15-year-old Valieva’s low scores were announced, and it was clear that the International Olympic Committee’s plan to scrap the ceremony and withhold medals if she finished in the top three would not be needed, Weir exclaimed, “Thank God!”

“Thank goodness for all the other medalists to have that moment,” Lipinski said, to which Weir quickly added, “And to have done it cleanly.”

Figure skater Kamila Valieva of Team ROC falls during her performance in the women’s free skating at the Winter Olympics on Thursday, Feb. 17, 2022
Valery Sharifulin/TASS
Valieva performs on Thursday, Feb. 17, 2022, during the Winter Olympics
Valieva performs her free skate on Feb. 17, 2022
Valery Sharifulin/TASS

Lipinski and Weir have been outspoken critics of The Court of Arbitration for Sport’s decision to allow Valieva to compete after failing a drug test. 

Valieva led the competition after the short program and had the highest base score for her scheduled four-minute long program. She could’ve survived a mistake or two, but not as many as she made. The gold and silver were out of reach before her skates left the ice.

“I can’t imagine how tough this has been on Kamila and it makes me angry that the adults weren’t able to make better decisions and guide her and be there for her because she is the one now dealing with the consequences,” Lipinski said. “And she’s just 15 and that’s not fair. With that being said, she should not have been allowed to skate in this Olympic event.”

Tara Lipinski and Johnny Weir commentate during the 2018 Winter Games
Tara Lipinski and Johnny Weir, here in 2018, commentated Thursday, Feb. 17, 2022, during the free skate competition
Getty Images

Valieva tested positive in December for the banned substance trimetazidine but claimed when the result was made public this week that it entered her body by accident and is meant for her grandfather.

“On a human level I can’t imagine going through what she has been through,” Weir said, “but that doesn’t change the fact that she should’ve been nowhere near this competition. Every athlete at this level knows and understands that if you test positive for a banned substance you will not compete.”

The tone changed as the gravity of the scene played out, with Valieva left inconsolable and her ROC teammates seemingly angered. Trying to translate the language, Weir suggested that silver-medalist Aleksandra Trusova actually was angry and threatening not to take the podium because she did not win the gold over fellow Russian Anna Shcherbakova.

Figure skater Kamila Valiyeva of Team ROC falls during her performance in the women's free skating at the 2022 Winter Olympics
Valieva fell to the ice during her performance on Thursday, Feb. 17, 2022
DeFodi Images via Getty Images
An emotional Valieva reacts after competing in the free skate competition
An emotional Valieva reacts after competing in the free skate competition on Thursday, Feb. 17, 2022
AFP via Getty Images

“I don’t even know what to feel or think,” Lipinski said. “All the other athletes, what they’ve gone through this week. The possibility of there being no medal ceremony or podium, that’s what every little girl dreams of when they think of the Olympics.”


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Weir called it “heartbreaking” to watch Valieva’s emotion as she went behind the curtain but said the “people around her should’ve kept her from competing here.”

The Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled to let Valieva compete because a disqualification would’ve caused “irreparable harm” to a minor.

“The court that ruled to allow Kamila to skate in this competition was worried about the ramifications on her mental health of not competing,” Weir said. “And I wonder what they are thinking now as to what just happened to Kamila Valieva.”

Silver medalist Sasha Trusova of Team ROC  is seen during the flower ceremony for the women's figure skating on Thursday, Feb. 17, 2022
Silver medalist Sasha Trusova of Team ROC is seen during the flower ceremony for the women’s figure skating on Thursday, Feb. 17, 2022
Valery Sharifulin/TASS via Getty Images
(From left) Silver medalist Sasha Trusova, gold medalist Anna Shcherbakova, and bronze medalist Kaori Sakamoto during the flower ceremony for the women's figure skating event on Thursday, Feb. 17, 2022
(From left) Silver medalist Sasha Trusova, gold medalist Anna Shcherbakova, and bronze medalist Kaori Sakamoto during the flower ceremony for the women’s figure skating event on Thursday, Feb. 17, 2022
Sergei Bobylev/TASS via Getty Images

With the weight of the world on her shoulders, Valieva’s program was filled with uncharacteristic mistakes, including a fall to the ice.

“I don’t know how you deal with that,” Lipinski, the gold medalist in the 1998 Winter Olympics, said. “I would’ve crumbled.”

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