Russian figure skater Sofya Samodelkina received a Kazakh passport

Russian figure skater Sofia Samodelkina became a citizen of Kazakhstan. According to the TV channel “Match TV”, the athlete received a Kazakh passport in an expedited manner, she expects to start playing for the national team of the country in the near future. However, the Russian Figure Skating Federation (FFKKR) is not going to agree on the transition of the figure skater to the national team of a foreign state.

“16-year-old Russian figure skater Sofya Samodelkina took the path of accelerated citizenship, as her relative in the family was born in Kazakhstan. She has already received the passport of Kazakhstan, she is waiting for separation from the Russian Figure Skating Federation, ”a source familiar with the situation told Match TV.

According to the publication “Sport Express”, the figure skater has been trying for two months to obtain permission to transfer to the Kazakhstan team. The side of the skater demands to release her, but at the moment the leadership of the FFKKR refuses to agree on the change of Samodelkina’s sports citizenship.

Sofya Samodelkina is the silver medalist of the Grand Prix among juniors in Slovenia (2021), the silver medalist of the Russian championship among juniors (2022), the winner of the final of the Russian Cup among juniors (2020), the winner of the Denis Ten Memorial (2021) in junior competitions.

Samodelkina competes in women’s singles. She is the ninth singles skater to land a quadruple jump and fifteenth to land a triple Axel in international competition. She is the second figure skater after Alexandra Trusova to complete all quadruple jumps, except for the quadruple Axel, in training. Samodelkina is the first single skater who tried to perform a quad loop in competition, but the jump was not counted due to underrotation. She is the second Russian figure skater after Sofya Akatieva to make a triple axel and a quadruple salchow in the same program.

Alexander Kislov