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A Russian figure skater cried, said she hates the sport, and threatened to 'never skate again' after missing gold despite a record 5 quad jumps

Barnaby Lane   

A Russian figure skater cried, said she hates the sport, and threatened to 'never skate again' after missing gold despite a record 5 quad jumps
Sports2 min read
  • Alexandra Trusova was upset after winning silver in the women's singles figure skating competition.
  • The Russian skater, 17, cried and threatened to "never skate again."

The Russian figure skater Alexandra Trusova cut a distressed figure after claiming silver in the women's singles figure skating competition at the Beijing Winter Olympics on Thursday, crying and threatening to quit the sport.

The 17-year-old finished second behind compatriot Anna Shcherbakova, also 17, after a stunning free skate display in which she landed a never-before-seen five quadruple jumps.

Kamila Valieva, the 15-year-old at the heart of the games' doping scandal, came in fourth after falling multiple times during her routine.

Despite Trusova being greeted with rapturous applause from the crowd at the Capital Indoor Stadium at the end of her display, the teenager appeared to be extremely disappointed that her performance was not enough to lift her into gold.

Trusova earned a high score of 177.13 in the free skate, but her disappointing 74.60 in Tuesday's short program saw Shcherbakova claim a higher score overall.

"Everyone has a gold medal, everyone, but not me," Trusova said in Russian after the event, as translated by Reuters.

"I hate skating. I hate it. I hate this sport. I will never skate again. Never. It's impossible. That's not how it should be."

Trusova, who won bronze at the world championships last year, elaborated on her feelings in the post-event news conference.

"I haven't been winning major events for three years. I always try to reach a goal, I always add more quads," she said, per Reuters.

"And when I get to that, I will win. This didn't happen, that's why I was upset."

Asked why she cried, she said: "Just because. I wanted to cry, so I cried. I've been three weeks alone without my mom, my dogs. So I cry."

The Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) has found itself in the eye of a doping storm since the news broke last Friday that Valieva had tested positive for a banned substance while competing at the Russian national championships in December.

She was immediately banned by Russia's anti-doping agency (RUSADA), however the decision was overturned following an appeal.

On Monday, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) then upheld the decision to reverse Valieva's ban, paving the way for her to compete in the

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) subsequently announced that should Valieva finish in the top three in the singles figure skating competition, there would be no medal ceremony until the teenager's doping case had been closed.

The IOC's decision prompted backlash from a number of former Olympians, who claimed it would rob the other athletes of a special moment.

Such worries proved to be irrelevant, however, with Valieva finishing outside of the medals.

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