The issue has become a hot topic in Russia amid widespread bans on the nation’s athletes
The Russian Figure Skating Federation has confirmed the number of requests it has received from athletes since the start of the year to transfer their citizenship.
The question of Russian stars potentially switching allegiances has been hotly debated in the face of sweeping sporting sanctions imposed on the country in the wake of the conflict in Ukraine.
Russian figure skating stars such as women’s 2022 Olympic champion Anna Shcherbakova, silver medalist Alexandra Trusova, and world record points holder Kamila Valieva will find themselves sidelined from international competition next season due to a ban imposed by governing body the International Skating Union (ISU).
That is a situation repeated across numerous other sports, leading to suggestions that there will be a wave of applications from Russian athletes to compete under a different nationality to circumvent the sanctions.
Commenting to RIA Novosti, Russian figure skating officials confirmed the number of applications for citizenship transfers that they had received.
“Since the beginning of the year, the FFKKR [Russian Figure Skating Federation] has received 19 requests to transfer. Two-thirds of the requests received were submitted on time, we satisfied them,” a statement read.
“We will consider seven more at the December executive committee. We cannot disclose the names [of the applicants], because for this, athletes must give special consent to the processing of personal data.”
There have not been suggestions that any of Russia’s top skating talent is seeking to make the move to compete under another flag.
Debates on Russian athletes potentially changing citizenship have split opinions in recent months.
The likes of State Duma Deputy Roman Teryushkov have claimed that taking the step – especially if it involves switching to an “unfriendly” country – should be treated as akin to treason.
Elsewhere, the Kremlin said it did not support such thinking, while former Olympic ice dance champion Tatiana Navka said people should not rush to judgement.
Russian Sports Minister Oleg Matytsin added that he did not fear an “exodus” of talent.
Renowned Russian figure skating coach Eteri Tutberidze was caught up in a row regarding the issue of loyalties after US skating journalist Dave Lease claimed that her daughter, Diana Davis, was set to try out with the American team back in July.
The US-born Davis, 19, who appeared for the Russian team at the 2022 Winter Olympics in the ice dance event, promptly refuted those claims while Tutberidze herself accused Lease of being “full of s**t” in a scathing social media message.
After being deprived of the chance to compete at ISU Grand Prix events next season – also being stripped of their own traditional event on the ISU calendar – Russian officials have said they will aim to hold alternative events for the nation’s skating stars.
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