BEIJING (NEXSTAR/AP) — The women’s individual ice skating competition kicks off, amid controversy over Kamila Valieva, now allowed to skate despite testing positive for a banned substance. The finals for men’s slopestyle is set for Tuesday night and US men’s hockey plays in the quarterfinals.
Women’s Individual Single Skating
Kamila Valieva has topped the leaderboard at the end of the short program in women’s individual single skating. The 15-year-old Russian at the center of the latest Olympic doping controversy is primed to succeed in her pursuit of another gold medal.
Her score of 82.16 points put her in first place in the field of 30. Twenty-five skaters are moving on to Thursday’s free skate round. Valieva’s fellow Russian Anna Shcherbakova was in second, and Japan’s Kaori Sakamoto edged out another Russian for third.
It would have been 24, but the qualification rule was changed to advance one more person if Valieva made it to the next round.
Valieva tested positive in December for a banned heart medication, though the result only emerged last week, after her two brilliant performances in the team competition helped win gold for the Russian team.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled early Monday that Valieva should be allowed to compete in part because she is a minor, known as a “protected person,” and is subject to different rules from an adult athlete. But the decision from a three-person panel has been roundly criticized, including by others that performed before her Tuesday night.
Men’s Hockey
The top-seeded United States will face Slovakia in the quarterfinals of the men’s hockey tournament at the Beijing Olympics. Slovakia beat Germany 4-0 to knock the defending silver medalists out of the tournament.
The U.S. goes into the knockout round as the only team to win all three of its group games in regulation. Facing Slovakia is particularly special for University of Minnesota forward Matt Knies. His parents were born in Slovakia and Knies even played a youth tournament for that country.
Mislav Rosandic was one of Slovakia’s best players against Germany. It’s special for him just to be playing hockey at the Olympics after growing up in post-war Croatia.
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