Valieva to take to Olympic ice once more amid doping scandal

By DAVE SKRETTA
AP Sports Writer

BEIJING (AP) — Kamila Valieva aims for the top step of a podium she may never see when the Russian figure skating star at the center of a doping scandal competes in the women’s free skate at the Beijing Olympics. The International Olympic Committee has said there will be no flower ceremony if Valieva places among the top three finishers. There also will be no medal ceremony for the skaters because the IOC fears that Valieva could someday be stripped of hers. The 15-year-old’s positive result for a banned heart medication came from a test taken last December, but the result was not announced until last week. The Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled she could compete in the individual event but declined to address any other aspect of the doping case.