figure skating

Alexandra Trusova on Silver-Medal Win: ‘There Is No Happiness'

ROC figure skater finished second behind teammate Anna Shcherbakova

Alexandra Trusova made headlines Thursday when she refused to attend the medal ceremony of the women's free skate program at the Beijing Olympics.

The ROC skater was emotional after finishing in second place in the women's single figure skating competition, crying and clearly distraught after the performances all wrapped up.

"I am not happy with the result," Trusova said on the silver medal. "There is no happiness."

Trusova also turned heads when it was caught on national television (in Russian) that Trusova stated she would never skate again.

When asked about it after the ceremonies, she kept it short.

"We’ll see."

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The tears after the programs initially appeared to be due to ROC's Kamila Valieva's underwhelming performance in the free skate.

The favorite to win the event fell or stumbled twice in the routine, dropping off the podium and finishing in fourth after recording the best score in the short program.

However, that might not have been the case.

"Just because," Trusova said on why she was crying once the competition had finished. "I wanted to cry, so I cried. I’ve been here for three weeks, alone without my mom, without the dogs, so I am crying."

Valieva has been the center of the ROC doping controversy after testing positive for trimetazidine, a banned substance. Despite the positive test, the Court of Arbitration for Sport allowed Valieva to continue performing at the Olympics.

Trusova shot down the idea that this may have changed her opinion on some of her fellow ROC teammates.

"I haven’t changed my attitude to anybody," she said. "Everything is fine."

Trusova impressed in the free skate program, receiving the highest score in that part of the competition with a 177.71. However, her short program score was the fourth-best, meaning her total of 251.73 put her fellow ROC figure skater Anna Shcherbakova.

"In the short and in the free [programs] I did everything I could," Trusova said. "I am content with my programs, I am happy with my performances. I did everything that I could."

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