The decision of 13-year-old Alexander Plushenko, son of two-time Olympic figure skating champion Evgeni Plushenko, to switch sporting nationality has become far more than just another story about an athlete changing federations.
As reported by İDMAN.BİZ, the issue quickly moved beyond the ice rink in Russia and sparked heated debate across different sections of society.
One of the strongest reactions came from Russian State Duma deputy Vitaly Milonov, who openly criticised the move.
“Plushenko has made a huge mistake. A 13-year-old figure skater does not make independent decisions, so we should be talking about the father,” Milonov told Sport24. “It is a very unpleasant situation. It turns out that certain professional matters are more important to him than the country. He carried himself with dignity all this time only to end things in such an ugly way.”
Two-time Olympic biathlon champion Dmitry Vasilyev also spoke critically about the situation, admitting that the famous Plushenko surname had made the story particularly sensitive in Russia.
“I would not have acted this way. Alexander is still young and could have waited,” Vasilyev said. “This definitely will not add to Evgeni Plushenko’s popularity and could affect his reputation.”
A more cautious position was taken by Olympic champion and State Duma deputy Svetlana Zhurova. While she refused to directly condemn the Plushenko family, she acknowledged that the public reaction in Russia would be painful.
“If all legal procedures have been followed, then it is the athlete’s right,” Zhurova said. “However, accusations of lacking patriotism will certainly follow.”
She also noted that Alexander trained at his father’s private academy, meaning, in her view, Russia had not invested significant state resources into his development. Zhurova suggested the family’s decision was driven mainly by sporting logic, arguing that at the age of 13 the skater already needs international experience, while competition in Azerbaijan is lower.
Meanwhile, honoured Soviet coach Tatiana Tarasova dismissed claims that Russia had lost a major talent.
“Don’t say silly things. What kind of loss can this possibly be?” Tarasova said. “In reality, the story became loud because of the Plushenko surname, not because of Alexander’s sporting status.”
Three-time Olympic figure skating champion Irina Rodnina also downplayed the controversy, stressing that sporting migration has long been part of modern sport.
“Why is everyone focused specifically on Sasha Plushenko?” Rodnina said, according to Russian media reports. “Tutberidze’s daughter represented several different countries. I did not see fans or journalists outraged about her changes. She competes for another country and even has three citizenships. So much for patriotism and moral values.”
It is worth noting that on Thursday both Evgeni Plushenko and his son сlosed their Instagram accounts following a wave of criticism from followers.
On Friday, 22 May, the Azerbaijan Winter Sports Federation confirmed to İDMAN.BİZ that Alexander Plushenko had obtained Azerbaijani sporting citizenship. One day earlier, both the young skater and his father publicly announced the decision. The Russian Figure Skating Federation also issued the 13-year-old athlete with a five-year release letter allowing him to change sporting nationality.
