[69927] Alexander Plushenko, son of Evgeni Plushenko, to represent Azerbaijan in figure skating

Surprising move: Son of Evgeni Plushenko to represent Azerbaijan

A storm in the figure skating world: Alexander Plushenko, the 13-year-old son of Olympic figure skating star Evgeni Plushenko and producer Yana Rudkovskaya, has received official approval from the Russian Figure Skating Federation to represent the Azerbaijan national team. According to reports in RIA Novosti, the move will allow the boy to participate in international competitions starting next season, subject to final approval by the International Skating Union (ISU).

The report, published in various media outlets including Lentach and RBK, notes that young Plushenko, referred to in the media as "Gnom Gnomych," was not an official member of the Russian national team. Legendary coach Tatyana Tarasova told TASS that the move stems from the stiff competition in Russia and that it is not a "great loss" for the Russian team.

On social media, fierce criticism has arisen from figures identified with the Russian opposition, including Meduza and TV Rain, who highlighted the contradiction between the boy's parents' public support for the Putin administration and the war in Ukraine, and their decision to remove their son from the Russian sports system. The ChTD channel even defined this as an event of "selective patriotism."

On the other hand, channels identified with support for the regime such as Zone AP tried to present the move in a positive light, as part of managing an international sports career, while other channels such as Dva Mayora criticized the "elitist sports" culture in which parents invest fortunes in their children as commercial projects.