'Breathtaking': Teen skater stuns Olympics with never-before-seen act
Russian teen skater Kamila Valieva has become the first woman ever to land a quadruple jump at an Olympics in a historic moment for the sport.
Valieva lifted ROC to Olympic gold in the team figure skating event, in front of the United States with silver and Japan with bronze, after the 15-year-old stunned the Winter Olympics with the never-before-seen feat.
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Earlier, Valieva became just the fourth woman in Olympic skating history to land a triple axel.
Later, the Russian went one better and landed a quadruple jump to create history at the age of just 15 years old.
And remarkably, her program had not just one quadruple jump but three.
Valieva performed the first two with aplomb, but fell on the third attempt.
Tonight history was made in women’s figure skating. Kamila Valieva threw three quad jumps in her free skate (with raised arms). No woman has ever successfully thrown a quad in Olympic competition. She is 15 years old… She fell on her last quad. At least we know she is human. ⛸ pic.twitter.com/5d5QblX5pN
— KAS (@kasmagikas) February 7, 2022
Despite falling, her routine was so audacious she received a score of 178.92.
This was 30 points more than Kaori Sakamoto who finished in second-place.
Kamila Valieva praised for historic jump at Olympics
Two-time olympian and figure skating commentator Johnny Weir was full of praise for the 15-year-old phenom.
"If that performance didn't inspire the whole world to take up ice skating, I don't know what would," Weir said on NBC broadcast.
The Olympic community went wild over the stunning feat.
Haven't quite seen a figure skater like Kamila Valieva.
This 15-year-old is going to be a figure skating star for a long time.#Beijing2022 #Olympics— Lukas Weese (@Weesesports) February 7, 2022
just sat here with my hands over my mouth after that Kamila Valieva fall. I watch figure skating with complete ignorance. but this 15 year old kid is BREATHTAKING. oh my god.
— Mike Golic Jr (@mikegolicjr) February 7, 2022
WE HAVE A QUAD IN WOMEN'S SKATING AT THE OLYMPICS!
Kamila Valieva hits a quadruple Salchow to open her free skate - the first in Olympic history for a woman.#Beijing2022— Nick McCarvel (@NickMcCarvel) February 7, 2022
Kamila Valieva’s completely stoic reaction to earning a score over 30 points better than the second-place finisher, after helping lift ROC to gold and after becoming the first woman in #Olympics history to land a quad, is such a flex pic.twitter.com/2OwDutPr5T
— D'Arcy Maine (@darcymaine_espn) February 7, 2022
15-year-old Kamila Valieva is the first woman to land two quads at the #Olympics. (Not sure why the chyron added a “y” to her name.) pic.twitter.com/ZcByccK7mB
— Garin Pirnia (@gpirnia) February 7, 2022
Valieva holds the record for free skate, short program and total score, despite only being 15 years old.
ROC finished with gold after finishing third in the last two Winter Olympics.
The point tally in the event is the highest ever for the ROC.
ROC sit atop of the medal tally with two gold, two silver and two bronze.
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