The world champion refused to play for Russia and joined another team

Elizaveta Golubeva, a six-time bronze medalist at the World Speed Skating Championships (team sprint (2016, 2019 and 2021) in the mass start (2019) and junior world champion in the all-around (2016), is transferring to the Kazakhstan national team. The 26-year-old 2018 European team sprint champion is in the process of getting her paperwork done.

The information about the transition was confirmed by the head of the Skating Union of Russia Nikolay Gulyaev.

"We have a statement from Golubeva about the transition to the team of Kazakhstan. We act in accordance with the regulations, approved by the executive committee of the Skating Union of Russia, on transitions both within the country and abroad," Gulyaev was quoted by TASS as saying.

The official refused to discuss with reporters the reasons for the athlete's decision, saying that "let it be on her conscience."

Russian fans are wishing the athlete success in another country en masse.

"Success to Elizaveta. A couple of years more of this kind of life and there will be no top athletes in the country at all. Everyone knows who is to blame for this disaster, but there is an article in the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation for a public opinion about it," wrote the users.

Users support the skater's decision.

"It's crazy to flush your career down the toilet because of a dictator," fans note.

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