"I was very upset, I had been living with this dream."
Idman.biz, citing Metaratings, Russian figure skater Veronika Zhilina, the runner-up of the Russian Youth Championships in individual women's competition, commented on the International Skating Union's (ISU) decision not to allow her to change her sporting citizenship.
She confirmed the news: "Yes, it’s true, I was not allowed to change my sporting citizenship. I’m very upset. I had been living with this dream and preparing for it. But I won’t give up, I’ll wait and see when they’ll finally let me go. This is already the third consecutive season that I’ve been unable to compete and have had to miss competitions. I think everyone can understand how difficult this is emotionally for any athlete. I’m grateful to everyone who has supported me, my family, my coaches, and the Azerbaijani federation."
The ISU Council meeting was held on July 4–5 in Lausanne. In May 2025, Zhilina announced that she had obtained an Azerbaijani passport. Since the Executive Committee of the Russian Figure Skating Federation did not approve her release, she appealed to the ISU.
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