2022 Olympics: Watch Russian skater Kamila Valieva, 15, land historic quadruple jumps
Kamila Valieva, the 15-year-old Russian skating phenomenon, became the first woman to land a quadruple jump in the Olympics — and the first woman to land two quads in the same program — at the Beijing Olympics on Monday. Valieva first performed a quad salchow in her free skate, then landed another quad to loop. "The only blemish on her program came when she fell on her quad toe loop late in the program, but by that point her first gold medal in Beijing was assured," The Associated Press reports.
The NBC broadcasters were effusive in their praise.
Valieva's 178.92 points on the program gave the Russian Olympic Committee 74 points and gilded its gold in the team figure skating event. The Russian skaters were expected to dominate and have done so. Team USA won the silver, thanks in large part to a spectacular team free skate by ice dance team Madison Chock and Evan Bates.
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Chock and Bates beat the Russian world champions, Victoria Sinitsina and Nikita Katsalapov, but a disappointing performance from Alexa Knierim and Brandon Frazier earlier Monday assured the Russians the gold. "We're celebrating silver," Bates said afterward. "Winning a silver medal at the Olympic Games is an incredible achievement, and the fact that we all get a silver medal, the whole team — I'm so happy. I'm so happy."
