Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva stumbles and falls in Olympic free skate event, crashing out of medal contention

• Russian Olympic figure skater Kamila Valieva finished fourth in the women's singles figure skating event.
• The 15-year-old had tested positive for a banned substance before the Games, but was still allowed to compete.

Kamila Valieva, the 15-year-old Russian figure skater at the center of a doping scandal at the Beijing Winter Olympics, fell twice during her free skate program Thursday, knocking her out of medal contention.

The embattled figure skating star — competing on behalf of the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) — was last to perform in the second half of the women's free skate event and came into Thursday's program with a strong lead.

But Valieva fell onto the ice following two separate quad jumps, resulting in significant deductions from the judges that ultimately kept her off the podium.

Valieva finished in fourth in Thursday's medal event. As her scores were announced, Valieva buried her head in her hands and sobbed.

The International Olympic Committee had said they would not have held a medal ceremony if Valieva had earned a spot among the top three in the competition.

The IOC added that the medal ceremony for Valieva's first event — the team skate, which the Russian team won — had been canceled until her case is resolved.

But given that Valieva finished just outside of medal contention on Thursday, ROC's Anna Shcherbakova, ROC's Alexandra Trusova, and Japan's Kaori Sakamoto were given their moments on the podium and awarded their gold, silver, and bronze medals — respectively — immediately following the event.

Valieva's eligibility to compete came under question last week after news emerged that she'd failed a drug test in December. She tested positive for trimetazidine, a drug the World Anti-Doping Agency categorizes as a "hormone and metabolic modulator," according to The Associated Press.

When taken without proper cause, the drug can bolster endurance and improve circulation. Both effects could give a high-level figure skater a competitive advantage.

Valieva was initially slapped with a provisional suspension from the Russian Anti-Doping Agency after the positive test surfaced. But following a swift appeal, the ban was overturned on February 9.

The International Olympic Committee then challenged that decision in the Court of Arbitration for Sport. On Monday, the court issued a ruling that lifted Valieva's provisional suspension and paved the way for the teen to compete in Tuesday's women's singles short program.

Many close to the sport slammed the decision to keep Valieva in the field, especially after multiple outlets reported on Tuesday that Valieva had tested positive for two additional heart drugs in the December 25 sample she provided. Only trimetazidine has been banned from the Olympics, but the other two — hypoxen and L-Carnatine — have raised concerns from anti-doping officials and called into question Valieva's excuse that she'd mixed up her medications.

"It raises a whole host of questions that have yet to be determined and what appears to be the case of a pretty deliberate attempt to use substances in order to enhance performance," USADA CEO Travis Tygart told CNN.