Deputy of the State Duma of the Russian Federation and three-time Olympic figure skating champion Irina Rodnina, in a conversation with Legalbet, commented on the massive change of citizenship by Russian athletes over the past year.
In our country, it is not sports citizenship that is changed, but simply citizenship. One citizenship. Without it, you will not be able to play for the country. There is no need to arrange a vinaigrette. The most important thing to note is that this mainly applies to the junior level, with a few exceptions. To say that citizenship has changed a lot is not entirely correct. Many times more of our IT specialists have left.
What to do with those who want to represent Russia again and with athletes with dual citizenship? Changing citizenship is not changing husbands or apartments. If you are an athlete with dual citizenship, then you will compete on a general basis. And it’s not a fact that you will get a place in the team again. Moreover, not all countries allow dual citizenship,” Rodnina told Legalbet journalist Alexandra Bykova.
In early September, TASS, citing Deputy Minister of Sports Alexei Morozov, reported that more than 100 Russian athletes have changed their citizenship over the past year and will compete for other national teams.