FIFTEEN-year-old Kamila Valieva delivered her lowest score of the season today — but it was still more than enough to lead the women’s figure skating competition after the short programme.

Valieva, cleared to compete on Monday by an ad-hoc committee of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) despite a positive drugs test, stumbled on her opening triple axel, but her total of 82.16 was enough to put her in first place above her compatriot Anna Shcherbakova.

It leaves Valieva as clear favourite to win the event when it concludes with the free skate tomorrow. But if she finishes in the top three, no medals will be awarded, with the podium put on hold until the full investigations into the Russian’s doping case has concluded.