Renunciation of Russian Citizenship by Biathlete Lidia Zhurauskaite: A Detailed Update
On July 22, a decree signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin was issued regarding the renunciation of Russian citizenship by biathlete Lidia Zhurauskaite. The official document appeared in a legal information portal and names Zhurauskaite Lidia Mikhailovna, born April 9, 1999, in Murmansk, as the applicant withdrawing from Russian citizenship.
Despite being 22 years old, Zhurauskaite never secured a place on Russia’s national biathlon team, and she did not record podium finishes in junior events. In the broader context of discussions about sports citizenship transitions, such moves could lead to a larger flow of athletes changing allegiance from Russia to other countries. Zhurauskaite had already decided to join the Lithuanian national squad before the Russian Biathlon Union paused its World Cup involvement, while the International Biathlon Union allowed Russians to compete as neutral athletes.
In 2021, Arunas Daugirdas, head of the Lithuanian Biathlon Federation, stated that Zhurauskaite had obtained Lithuanian citizenship. He noted that the athlete was awaiting Russia’s formal acknowledgment of revoking her Russian citizenship. Daugirdas explained that Zhurauskaite benefited from a restoration program because her great-grandfather was Lithuanian. Archival documents were gathered with federation support, and the federation decided to grant Lithuanian citizenship, with only the Russian denial document still pending at the time of his remarks.
The biathlete announced that her primary objective was to compete in the Olympic Games scheduled for 2026 in Italy. In an interview with LRT, Zhurauskaite expressed gratitude toward Lithuania, highlighting the support from the federation president and coaches who prepared an environment aimed at making her transition smooth. Her remarks emphasized the country’s welcoming stance and the importance of being noticed on the international stage.
Former biathlon coach Alexander Kosorygin noted in October of the previous year that many athletes from Murmansk sought changes in sports citizenship to overcome regional infrastructure challenges and ongoing reconstruction of sports facilities. He stressed that Zhurauskaite’s move was driven by personal choice rather than external pressure and pointed to discussions within the sport that had persisted for more than a year. The Murmansk region’s fitness ecosystem, he argued, faced funding constraints that hindered the development of training venues. He used the example of a long-standing construction project, the so-called Valley of Comfort, to illustrate the financial realities faced by athletes in the area.
Two-time Olympic champion Dmitry Vasiliev commented that Zhurauskaite’s transition to Lithuania would not disrupt the Russian national team’s prospects for the upcoming season. He suggested that the team possessed depth and potential among other athletes who could fill any gaps, noting that many talents remain in the shadows but could be developed with proper support. Vasiliev emphasized that the departure of a single athlete would not derail the broader program and that the federation could continue building strong teams for international competition.
Alexander Tikhonov, a four-time Olympic champion, remarked in an interview with a news outlet that Zhurauskaite’s move might contribute to improving relations between Russia and Lithuania. He argued that sports often reflect broader geopolitical dynamics, noting that athletes from various countries compete for multiple nations in today’s world. He asserted that sports exchanges can pave the way for more peaceful and cooperative ties, suggesting that the political climate could stabilize through athletic collaboration rather than hinder it. Tikhonov advocated a pragmatic view of the situation, stressing that the absence of Russia from certain events could inspire a rebalancing of international competition and improve overall relations among nations involved in winter sports. (Source: Tikhonov interview collection)