On July 22, Russian President Vladimir Putin issued a decision related to the citizenship status of 23-year-old biathlete Larisa Zhurauskaite, who will begin competing for Lithuania in the upcoming season. This move comes amid discussions surrounding athletes who change national allegiances, a trend that has sparked debate across the sports world.
Following comments from Russia’s top tennis player Daria Kasatkina, who urged younger athletes to consider citizenship changes if it would help them continue competing at the highest level, several sports figures criticized those who pursue new national affiliations. The debate quickly highlighted the delicate balance between personal career opportunities and national sporting identity.
Two-time Olympic champion Dmitry Vasilyev offered his perspective on Zhurauskaite’s decision. He suggested that time might change her view and that regaining Russian citizenship could prove difficult. Vasilyev noted that the move could be a strategy to reduce direct competition with Russian athletes, given the competitive barriers within the Russian team and the opportunity to become a leading figure on the Lithuanian squad, according to Match TV coverage.
Zhurauskaite addressed the accusations of betrayal, insisting that she does not see herself as a traitor. She stated that rumors of fleeing Russia or losing hope there were unfounded. Her motivation, she explained, was a genuine desire to explore new challenges and opportunities that align with her interests.
In an interview with Match TV, Zhurauskaite elaborated that financial considerations in Lithuania do not drive her decision. She emphasized that the shift was about personal growth and the chance to pursue new horizons in the sport she loves, rather than monetary gain.
Her initial encounters with the Lithuanian Biathlon Federation occurred in May 2020, during the height of the coronavirus pandemic. Zhurauskaite recalled that there was little clarity about her future at the time. A Lithuanian team coach visited her, followed by an initial meeting with the federation’s leadership. The scouting process began when her name appeared in Russian competition records, and a Lithuanian surname became a signal for the federation’s interest. Even then, documents began to accumulate, and by March 2021 it was announced that she would be granted Lithuania’s citizenship, a process noted as particularly challenging. Shortly after, she joined training camps, and by May 2021 she was training with the Lithuanian national team, marking the start of her new competitive chapter.
Alexander Tikhonov, a multiple Olympic champion, offered a broader view on the practice of athletes changing citizenship. He told a correspondent for socialbites.ca that such moves are not unusual and extended the discussion to public figures who relocate their nationality for various reasons. He pointed to the broader phenomenon, noting that public figures and officials sometimes pursue opportunities abroad for education, career advancement, or family reasons. Tikhonov argued that the real issue lies in creating conditions that encourage athletes to stay, including fair compensation and strong coaching opportunities to prevent departures in the first place. He underscored that the state should focus on offering attractive conditions to retain talent, rather than simply labeling changes as betrayals, according to his remarks to socialbites.ca.
In the realm of biathlon, a number of athletes have historically switched national teams, and Zhurauskaite’s situation is not an isolated incident. The most prominent example involving a former Russian athlete is Anastasia Kuzmina, who transitioned to the Slovak team with her husband in 2008 and built an exceptional record over a decade, including Olympic podium successes and world titles. Kuzmina’s career illustrates how a change of citizenship can coincide with both personal opportunities and sustained high-level performance on the world stage.
Historically, many shifts in national representation occur around major international events, with host nations sometimes applying more flexible quotas to welcome talented athletes. This practice reflects the strategic realities of Olympic competition, where nations aim to strengthen their teams while sometimes benefiting from experienced athletes who bring proven success. The broader pattern in biathlon and other sports shows a recurring theme: athletes seek environments that maximize their potential, while federations balance the cost and payoff of recruiting from abroad.
Within the wider context of the former Soviet sports landscape, several athletes have moved to national teams of neighboring countries. The last Olympic cycle saw Ukrainian affiliations chosen by multiple biathletes, collectively including Daria Sidorova, Ekaterina Bekh, Olga Abramova, Anastasia Rasskazova, Oksana Moskalenko, and Nadezhda Belkina. In neighboring Belarus, athletes such as Olga Yakusheva and the Kruchinkin sisters, among others, have pursued long-term competition opportunities abroad. The International Biathlon Union tightened transfer rules in November 2020 to safeguard federations’ interests. The updated charter requires athletes to be considered citizens of the target country until age 15, after which they must demonstrate a concrete connection to the new nation, whether through marriage, residence, or other established ties.