Russian figure skater Alina Zagitova offered public support for Kamila Valieva after the Russian Grand Prix in Kazan, urging resilience and self-belief for the young champion who faced a challenging event. The moment highlighted Zagitova’s role as a veteran mentor within the sport, reinforcing a message of perseverance to Valieva amid intense scrutiny from fans and media alike [citation].
Valieva finished in fourth place with a total of 213.59 points, narrowly missing a podium spot in the competition. The event crowned Sofia Muravyova as the winner, accumulating 228.81 points across both programs. Alina Gorbachova finished in second with 219.02 points, while Daria Sadkova earned third place with 214.54 points [citation].
Earlier the season carried significant controversy for Valieva. Following her team victory at the Beijing Olympics, a doping case surfaced when traces of the banned substance trimetazidine were detected in a test. Despite the ensuing questions, she was cleared to compete in the individual championships, where she finished in fourth place. The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) held hearings in September and again in November, with a final decision anticipated in early 2024 [citation].
Two factors are noted to explain Valieva’s Kazan result. First, the extended period of attention and pressure from recent events may have affected performance at the Grand Prix. Second, the competition format and the inline scoring system in use at the time shaped how points accumulated during the two programs, influencing final standings and momentum heading into the next events of the season [citation].