Debatable Russian celebrity Kamila Valieva’s flip within the Wintry weather Olympics’ girls’s determine skating brief program Tuesday was once greeted on American TV with the sounds of silence. (Watch the video beneath.)
The in most cases loquacious NBC commentators Tara Lipinski and Johnny Weir slightly mentioned a phrase all through the drug-scandalized 15-year-old’s efficiency. They famous a leaping cross and stayed mum all through an uncharacteristic stumble. That was once about it.
But if Valieva concluded her first-place regimen, the broadcasters’ spare observation reduce like a knife. Valieva was once allowed to compete within the Olympics, regardless of checking out certain for a banned center medicine mentioned to spice up staying power. She additionally disclosed taking two different center medicine that aren’t particularly banned.
“All I believe I will say is that was once the quick program of Kamila Valieva on the Olympics,” Weir mentioned.
“And for the entire different Olympics athletes skating right here, I believe I want to say once more, she had a favorable take a look at,” Lipinski added. “We must now not have observed this skate.”
“We’re so sorry it’s overshadowing your Olympics,” Weir added.
Lipinski, who received gold as a 15-year-old on the 1998 Nagano Video games, famous that she had again and again declared sooner than the Beijing Video games that Valieva was once the most efficient skater she had ever observed.
“Announcing that no longer simplest makes me puzzled, but it surely makes me offended and disoriented,” Lipinski mentioned.
Now that’s calling it find it irresistible is.
No medals might be awarded if Valieva finishes within the best 3, which seems most probably, pending a ruling on her case. Medals within the group match, for which the U.S. received silver (for now), also are on dangle.
Weir reiterated his discomfort with Valieva’s presence in a while on Twitter. He known as it the “toughest match I’ve ever needed to duvet.”
“Thanks considering supporting the skaters that are supposed to be on this festival whose existence’s paintings is at the line.”