Banned Russian skater Kamila Valieva stars at Moscow ice gala
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Russia's figure skater Kamila Valieva performs as the Mouse Queen during the ice show 'The Nutcracker' in Moscow.
PHOTO: AFP
MOSCOW – Russian figure skating star Kamila Valieva, serving a four-year ban for doping, received a standing ovation as she stole the show at an ice gala in Moscow on Dec 21.
“Kamila!” fans chanted as bouquets of flowers were thrown onto the ice after her performance as the Mouse Queen in The Nutcracker, which runs in Moscow until Jan 12.
Wearing a golden speckled costume and a small crown on her head, the 18-year-old told journalists she faced the challenge of jumping without preparation for the show.
“In sports competitions, you have time to prepare. Here, you have to jump abruptly,” said Valieva, the first skater to land a quadruple jump at the Olympics.
“That’s why I’m still sometimes shaky during the jumps,” she said.
A loose adaptation of The Nutcracker by Russian composer Pyotr Tchaikovsky, the show is directed by former Olympic ice dancing champion Tatiana Navka.
It combines special effects with orchestral music and involves around a hundred participants – skaters, gymnasts and acrobats.
Among them are Evgenia Tarasova and Vladimir Morozov, two-time Olympic figure skating pairs silver medallists, and five-time United States ice dance champion Peter Tchernyshev.
But for the public, Valieva is the queen.
“I really love Kamila Valieva, she is adorable. It’s such a shame that she was suspended,” Elvira Serebrennikova, a 57-year-old social worker, told AFP, hailing a “beautiful and impressive” skater.
“She’s a real phenomenon! Everyone loves her,” said Ivan, a 22-year-old web designer.
Valieva failed a doping test before the 2022 Winter Olympics, where she competed at age 15, testing positive for the heart medication trimetazidine.
She was banned for four years in January, with the suspension backdated and will end on Dec 25, 2025.
In November, Valieva said she intended to return to competition after her suspension.
“Of course, I’m thinking about coming back because it’s not the end for me,” she was quoted by Russian news agency Tass as saying.
“My last performance wasn’t my best and it would be stupid to end my career at such a young age. I want to make my fans, coaches and myself proud.
She added: “I am working on building my confidence and plan to add more complexity to my routine, even without immediate competition.” AFP