Beijing (AFP) - Figure skaters up against Russia's Kamila Valieva, who came top in the short programme on Tuesday despite testing positive for a banned substance, said they are determined not to let the scandal ruin their own Olympics.
Fifteen-year-old Valieva was favourite for gold going into the Beijing Games, but a week into them it emerged she had tested positive in December for trimetazidine, which boosts endurance.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on Monday ruled that she could carry on competing in the Chinese capital, although that does not mean that the Russian has been cleared of doping and could still face punishment at a later date.
Asked about the CAS ruling after Tuesday's competition, the United States' Alysa Liu said: "The court made that decision, I can't change it.
"I don't know every detail of the case but from the big picture, obviously a doping athlete competing against clean athletes is not fair," the 16-year-old added.
Liu's father had described the skating system as "obviously rigged" to US media on Monday, and said he would not have encouraged Liu to become a skater had he realised this earlier.
'Touchy subject'
Japan's Kaori Sakamoto, who came third in the short programme behind Valieva and her Russian teammate Anna Shcherbakova -- who declined to comment on the doping issue -- said she was concentrating on herself.
"Do I feel sorry for her?I don’t think so, I wouldn’t say so..." said a visibly uncomfortable Sakamoto when asked if she felt sympathy for Valieva.
"How do I say this...I’m focusing on the sport, on the competition, and at the moment I’m actually trying not to think of things like that."
Mariah Bell of the United States said the affair was "obviously a very touchy subject".
"I can only speak for myself and I advocate for clean sport," she said.
Britain's Natasha McKay was more blunt.
"Obviously it is not a level playing field and at every sport it should be a level playing field, and we don't get that opportunity here," she said.
"But that is a decision they've made and obviously we have to stick with that."
After her performance a tearful Valieva did not stop to talk to reporters and took no part in the press conference.
A spokesman for the Russian Olympic Committee said she was not feeling well.
"We decided to send her to the Olympic Village as quickly as possible," Konstantin Vybornov said.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has said that if Valieva places in the top three at the end of the singles competition on Thursday, there will be no medal ceremony.
The teenager led the Russians to first place in last week's team event but those medals will not be awarded at the Games either until the doping case is settled.
Karen Chen, who won silver with Team USA, said that decision was "definitely disappointing".
"I really was looking forward to being on the podium with my teammates, and just sharing that moment," she said.
"But what can we do?" she added."It's out of our control."
Canada, who came fourth, could stand to benefit if the Russians have the title taken away, but team member Madeline Schizas said it wasn't her place to comment, saying her job was to "focus on herself".
"I can't let anything outside my control derail me," she said.
Alexia Paganini, competing for Switzerland, said that she had sympathy for Valieva.
"I definitely feel sorry for her," she said."She is pretty much a product of the adults around her."
But she added: "Rules are rules and they should be followed."
