Japanese Yuko Kawaguchi, the European champion of the Russian national team in pair skating, said that she could not return home due to anti-Russian sanctions. Kawaguchi quotes his words RIA News.
“The sanctions situation against Russia affects my life. I can’t go home. I had a tradition of going to Japan once a year. First of all, tickets have become very expensive. Secondly, the flight is no longer ten hours or even a day, but more than 30 hours with transfers,” said Kawaguchi.
Kawaguchi was born and raised in Japan. He moved to America at the age of 18 and to Russia three years later. The girl studied under the guidance of Tamara Moskvina.
After playing for the Japan and USA national teams in 2006, Kawaguchi teamed up with Alexander Smirnov with whom they represented Russia in international competitions. With him she won the European Championships twice and bronze medals at the World Championships the same number of times.
In 2008, the figure skater filed a petition for Russian citizenship, which was granted in the same year. Kawaguchi, St. He graduated from St. Petersburg State University.
In the spring of 2022, the International Skating Union (ISU) suspended all Russian and Belarusian athletes from competitions.
Previously Kawaguchi statedHe thinks Kamila Valieva’s doping story is not true.