- Former Olympian Evgenia Medvedevа urged Russian teen skater Kamila Valieva not to quit the sport in an Instagram post.
- Medvedevа posted the message after Valieva stumbled and fell in the Olympic free skate event.
- Valieva, 15, has been embroiled in a doping scandal at the Beijing Winter Olympics.
Former Russian figure skater and Olympian Evgenia Medvedevа on Thursday offered words of encouragement to Kamila Valieva — the Russian teen skater embroiled in a doping scandal at the Beijing Winter Olympics — and urged her not to quit the sport.
Medvedevа, a two-time Olympic silver medalist who trained under the same coach as Valieva, posted messages to Instagram after the 15-year-old stumbled and fell in the Olympic free skate event, falling out of medal contention after leading the pack.
"I am very glad that this hell is over for you," she shared in an Instagram story. "I really appreciate and love you and I'm glad that you can now rest."
"I hope that you can live and breathe calmly," she added.
In a later Instagram post addressed to all three top Russian finishers, Medvedeva supported the teen skating sensation.
"Kamila, I know how you feel," Medvedevа wrote to Valieva. "You may think that everything is finished, but it is not the end. I really hope you will stay in the sport longer."
Medvedevа said things would get better with time, and advised Valieva to temporarily delete Instagram and spend time with loved ones.
Medvedevа also offered kind words to the other Russian figure skaters who earned Gold and Silver medals in the individual event at the Winter Games.
Silver-medalist Alexandra Trusova was heard crying and threatening to "never skate again" after failing to finish first despite completing a record five quad jumps, but Medvedeva wrote that she will become a champion someday.
"It was a very great free program," she wrote. "You will have gold medals. You will have everything you want."
Medvedevа also praised champion Anna Shcherbakova as a "real fighter."
"Today is your day," she wrote. "Today is your parent's day! I congratulate all your family!"
Valieva ultimately finished fourth in the women's free skate competition amid criticism that she was even allowed to participate.
This week, it was revealed Valieva tested positive for three medications used to treat heart conditions in a drug test taken in December.
One of the medications — trimetazidine — is banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency. The other two legal substances found in Valieva's testing sample were hypoxen and the supplement L-Carnatine.
Valieva was initially suspended by Russia's anti-doping agency after the positive test was revealed. But the ban was overturned on February 9 following a swift appeal.
That decision was challenged by the International Olympic Committee, but the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruled on Monday that Valieva could continue competing in the Olympic Games.
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