Russian Olympic champ Zagitova held back for 5 HOURS by doping officers after short program victory
Russian figure skating ace Alina Zagitova was forced to spend a sleepless night in Saitama, Japan, after doping officers kept her back for more than five hours after she won the World Championships short program on Wednesday.
The Olympic gold medalist underwent a doping test procedure till 3am (local time) before she was finally allowed to return to her hotel.
It has not been revealed what caused the serious delay in the ordinary doping procedure, but it clearly affected Zagitova’s plans as the skater was forced to stay awake until the early hours of the morning after a grueling day on the ice.
A similar incident involving Zagitova took place at the 2018 Olympics in South Korea, when doping officers interrupted the athlete’s training, preventing her from conducting a full practice session.
On Wednesday, the 16-year-old star won the short program by posting an incredible 82.08 points, beating home favorite Rika Kihira of Japan by more than 11 points.
The medalists in the ladies program will be decided on Friday after the competitors complete their free programs.
