ROC's Kamila Valieva Finishes 4th in Women's Figure Skating Final at Winter Olympics

The Winter Olympics dodged major controversy Thursday when the Russian Olympic Committee's Kamila Valieva faltered during her free skate program to finish outside the podium places in women's figure skating.

Valieva, who was allowed to compete in the event despite failing a test for performance-enhancing drugs, entered the free skate on top of the leaderboard and was an overwhelming favorite after a stellar short program.

However, the pressure of the moment seemed to get to the 15-year-old, who fell and stumbled at multiple points in her free skate. The result saw her drop all the way to fourth place, allowing countrywoman Anna Shcherbakova to ascend to gold.

ROC's Alexandra Trusova took home silver, and Japan’s Kaori Sakamoto earned bronze. The International Olympic Committee said it would not have hosted a medal ceremony if Valieva medaled because of the ongoing appeal of her doping violation.

Representatives for Valieva say the banned substance, trimetazidine, entered her system through her grandfather's heart medication. Trimetazidine can be used as a performance-enhancing substance for athletes to increase their endurance during competition. 

"There can be completely different ways how it got [into Valieva's body]," attorney Anna Kozmenko said in a hearing, per The Dossier Center (h/t USA Today). "For example, [her] grandfather drank something from a glass, saliva got in [and] this glass was somehow later used by the athlete."

The Russian Olympic Committee's continued presence in the Olympic Games was already a source of controversy given the state-run doping program that led the IOC to strip the country of numerous medals and ban athletes from competing under the banner of Russia. Russian athletes have been allowed to compete in the Olympics since the ban but have done so as part of the Russian Olympic Committee.

There was widespread criticism that Valieva was allowed to compete despite her positive test, especially given Russia's recent link to PEDs. After her positive test was revealed, the Court of Arbitration for Sport determined she should not be provisionally suspended from the Games.