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Automatically translated version. May contain inaccuracies compared to the original.
Olympic figure skating champion Evgeni Plushenko is a trusted associate of dictator Putin and has repeatedly spoken against Russian athletes changing citizenship. But his own son is beginning to compete internationally for Azerbaijan.
13-year-old skater will participate in the junior Grand Prix series of the season 2026/2027. Soon he will take the ice under the Azerbaijani flag at tournaments in Ankara and Batumi, writes 24 Channel.
Why Plushenko Jr. changed citizenship
The decision to swap Russian sports citizenship for Azerbaijani citizenship is unlikely connected to sanctions against the aggressor country — moreover, the International Skating Union recently restored the ability for Russians and Belarusians to compete internationally in a "neutral" status.
This is more about avoiding competition. Traditionally, in Russian figure skating, due to the large number of athletes and backstage intrigues between different coaching schools, it is very hard to break through internationally. In Azerbaijan, where figure skating is much less popular and developed, Plushenko Jr. got an opportunity to go immediately to prestigious junior tournaments.
What Evgeni Plushenko said about changing citizenship
The ideologue Putinist Plushenko surprised many when he helped his son obtain Azerbaijani citizenship. He was immediately reminded of his critical remarks in 2022 year directed at athletes who were ready to swap a Russian passport for another or accept the conditions of "neutrality."
I truly do not understand how one can refuse their own country, refuse the "SVO". Refuse our president, refuse our lands, our resources, our moms and dads. Such athletes can be found. I feel poorly about it,
— cynically said Plushenko at the time.
Now the Olympic champion has suddenly changed his stance and sees nothing wrong with his own son swapping Russia for Azerbaijan, even if one has to admit it is a sincere act is hard.
Document: PDF proof of the original version of the news item "Син путініста Євгена Плющенка вперше заявився на змагання під прапором Азербайджану". It records the publication content at the moment of the first scan, the preservation date and the source: Channel 24.
