First Deputy Chairman of the Russian State Duma Committee on Physical Culture and Sport Dmitry Svishchev has sharply criticized two-time Olympic figure skating champion Evgeni Plushenko, effectively questioning whether he should be entrusted with developing young athletes.
According to İdman.Biz, the criticism followed Plushenko's remarks that Russian figure skaters are facing "degradation" due to the lack of international competitions. He made the comments while discussing the decision of his 13-year-old son Alexander to represent Azerbaijan.
"Evgeni Plushenko is now running his own figure skating academy. This raises the question of whether he can really be trusted with a skating school. How can he educate children, and what values can he pass on to those he coaches? Where is the continuity of the Russian figure skating school, and where is patriotism? How can he teach patriotism to the children he coaches if he sent his own son to compete for another country? There are many questions for Plushenko," Svishchev was quoted as saying by RIA Novosti.
It was previously reported that Evgeni Plushenko intends to open his own figure skating academy in Azerbaijan. Against this backdrop, the Russian lawmaker's remarks, effectively questioning the Olympic champion's suitability to coach young skaters, have attracted even greater attention.
Meanwhile, Alexander Plushenko's switch to compete under the Azerbaijani flag continues to generate widespread public debate in Russia. Earlier, two-time Olympic hockey champion Alexander Yakushev, Olympic figure skating champion Alexei Yagudin, Olympic cross-country skiing champion Alexander Legkov, and Russian Sports Minister Mikhail Degtyarev all criticized the Plushenko family. Degtyarev, in particular, described them as "relocants."
Alexander Plushenko has also recently drawn attention for his comments on the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The 13-year-old figure skater, who now represents Azerbaijan, said he would choose Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha over legendary Soviet goalkeeper Lev Yashin. He also criticized Argentina's national team and revealed that he went to a sauna during the decisive moments of the 2026 World Cup final.
