Rewriting for Global Sports Context and Citizenship Shifts

“Everybody wants to compete on the world stage”

Ilya Averbukh, who earned a silver medal in Salt Lake City’s Olympic figure skating competition, addressed the ban on Russian athletes from many international events. He did not rule out the possibility that numerous competitors, especially figure skaters, might consider withdrawing and even changing their sporting nationality as a workaround.

“We should remain in the orbit of global sport, and I hope this issue is resolved quickly so athletes can perform together again. Isolation rarely drives progress.

If the problem isn’t resolved, it’s likely that skaters will explore options to represent other countries,” Averbukh was quoted as saying by Match TV.

You can’t say, “Gentlemen, let’s wait three or four years.”

Maria Butyrskaya, the celebrated former world champion in figure skating, reacted to these remarks. In an interview with socialbites.ca, she admitted that such scenarios are plausible in this sport, given that young skaters rise each year and every competitive season matters for a career arc.

“Discussing this now is difficult. Figure skating is still relatively young as a sport. Those who were expected to win gold at Worlds, Europeans, or the Grand Prix circuits are currently paused. Time doesn’t stand still. Young athletes, both girls and boys, deserve sympathy because time is precious.”

“Time is irreversible. You can’t say, ‘Gentlemen, let’s wait three or four years, everything will be fine and you will perform.’”

She added that some will inevitably seek alternative options, though whether they would want our athletes to compete for other countries remains an open question, she noted.

Butyrskaya also observed that Russia still presents fierce competition in women’s single figure skating, which prompts some athletes to seek opportunities abroad. “We have extraordinary depth and lead in women’s skating; there is no close rival,” she remarked.

“The Best Don’t Leave”

Regarding Russian sports more broadly, Butyrskaya expressed confidence that the strongest competitors will stay. She suggested that changes of nationality in other sports mostly stem from the challenge of staying at the top. At the same time, she warned that those who depart may deprive themselves of a real chance to medal, ending up merely competing on the international stage with limited prospects.

“Transferring to another country will be selective. The best athletes usually stay. Historically, when athletes could not compete domestically, some pursued easier routes to the World and European Championships and the Olympics. I experienced this during my own skating days. Some joined teams in Azerbaijan or Belarus, for instance, but such moves rarely yielded enduring success or podium finishes.”

Butyrskaya concluded with a caution about departures.

“There is no exit in gymnastics”

Svetlana Khorkina, a two-time Olympic champion in artistic gymnastics, commented on the wider situation. She stated that there has not been a precedent of athletes leaving for foreign teams in this sport and suggested that the Minister of Sports should speak up, given his access to the most complete information about developments.

“We are now launching the Russian championships in artistic gymnastics. Almost all Olympic competitors and reserves will take part. The issue of talent drain in our sport remains largely invisible. On broader sports, I think it would be appropriate to ask the Minister of Sports for his views, as he has the most objective information,” Khorkina told socialbites.ca.

Dropping figure skaters and biathletes

Paradoxically, the history shows Russians changing sports citizenship more often than athletes from other nations. Among sports with intense competition, figure skating leads in the number of such changes.

At the Beijing Olympics, five Russian singles skaters appeared under flags of other nations. Ekaterina Kurakova competes for Poland, Anastasia Gubanova for Georgia, Ekaterina Ryabova for Azerbaijan, Anastasia Shabotova for Ukraine, and Victoria Safonova for Belarus. Russians have also changed citizenship in other figure disciplines. Notably, Georgian athletes Maurice Kvitelashvili, Luka Berulava and George Revia were born in Russia but represent Georgia. In biathlon, departures from Russia have been more frequent, with many leaving to pursue top results abroad, as illustrated by athletes such as Anastasia Kuzmina and Daria Domracheva who achieved prominence while representing other nations. In Tokyo, several so-called legionnaires competed for various countries, including Nikita Lobastov and Elena Kruchinkina (Belarus), Natalya Ushkina (Romania), Maxim Makarov, Mikhail Usov, Alina Stremous (Moldova), and Timofey Lapshin (Korea).

Those who left Russia in 2022

Even with sanctions, Russia’s exodus of athletes has not been catastrophic, according to Maria Butyrskaya; she notes that isolated cases may grow, but a mass exit has not yet occurred. The first notable move was cyclist Pavel Sivakov, who already had ties to France and chose to compete under the French flag. A high-profile chess move followed, with Evgeny Romanov switching to Norway, a decision aided by his long residence there. Sergey Smagin, vice-president of the Moscow Chess Federation, commented that Romanov’s departure does not represent a loss for Russian chess.

The esports scene also reacted. Team Spirit, a recent Dota 2 champion, considered competing under the Serbian flag due to visa and travel barriers in Russia. The broader context shows that restrictions, not just sanctions, push athletes to rethink their affiliations.

Who changed sports citizenship to Russian?

There are many examples of foreign athletes who gained Russian citizenship. Roy Jones Jr. joined Russia late in his career, followed by Jeff Monson. The larger point is that other athletes achieve major success after competing for Russia, including in figure skating.

Over the past decade, the sport has produced dazzling feats by Tatiana Volosozhar and Maxim Trankov, who captured Olympic glory while Volosozhar originally hailed from Dnepropetrovsk. When her partner retired, she relocated to Russia. Yuko Kawaguchi, a multiple European champion and world medalist, achieved most of her honors while skating for Russia and continues to live in St. Petersburg. Olympic champions such as Ahn Hyun-soo, known as Victor Ahn, and Vic Wilde left lasting marks for Russia in 2014. Wilde later claimed bronze in Beijing 2022 after a decade-long relationship with Alena Zavarzina ended. Other names, like Alexandra Lesuna, who competed for Belarus up to 2008, also illustrate the broader pattern. The list extends beyond these examples, underscoring the fluid nature of national representation in elite sports.