Russian champion in speed skating Kristina Silaeva told that she was aware of the need to renounce Russian citizenship after joining the Kazakhstan national team.
Earlier, Russian Skating Union President Nikolai Gulyaev told that he had received a request to change sport citizenship from Silaeva.
– I am already training in Kazakhstan. The decision was made, one might say, in early spring.
– Didn’t you think they would come back in international competitions?
– I’m just not ready to wait, the age of an athlete is short, it is not known when the next international competitions will take place, if I stay. Don’t miss the pinnacle of your career.
‘You will have to renounce Russian nationality.
– I knew I should refuse, I was a bit worried, but it didn’t seem to threaten me with anything terrible, I wasn’t tied to anything like that, there wasn’t much- something to lose. You can try your luck, and returning citizenship is not such a big deal.
– The fact that Klevchenya works in the Kazakhstan team, was it a factor in favor of such a decision for you?
– It was also one of the important factors for me, because I think that only with this trainer can I achieve high results.
How did your family members react to your decision?
– Parents understand that the political situation is very difficult and since 2014 our flag has not appeared at the Winter Games. Now there is an SVO, then there will be something else, so the parents were sympathetic, Silaeva told .
Source : MatchTV
I am Sandra Jackson, a journalist and content creator with extensive experience in the news industry. I have been working in the news media for over five years. During this time, I have worked as an author and editor at various outlets producing high-quality content that attracts readers from different demographics.
