Sport

Another Ukrainian gymnast changes his sports citizenship

Pantelei Kolodiy, who previously represented Ukraine, has joined the US gymnastics team. The decision was approved by the Executive Committee of the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) during a meeting on May 7-8 in Qawra, Malta, reports "Komersant Ukrainian".

The gymnast will be able to make his debut for the United States in May 2026.

Earlier, in January, the US Gymnastics Federation announced his participation in the Winter Cup qualifying tournament on behalf of Stanford University, but then the athlete was unable to perform due to lack of American citizenship.

The FIG website currently states that 23-year-old Kolodiy represents Ukraine, although he was born in Russia. In 2022, the athlete received the title of Master of Sports of Ukraine and began playing for the national team. His international competitions include the World Championships, the European Championships, and the 2022 Universiade. He last played for Ukraine in September 2023 at the World Challenge Cup in Sombatgey, Hungary.

This is the second case of a change of citizenship among leading Ukrainian gymnasts: earlier, Ilya Kovtun, silver medalist of the 2024 Olympics, announced his move to another national team. The President of the NOC of Ukraine Vadym Gutzeit criticized his decision, saying that it “means unwillingness to be a Ukrainian.”

Since the start of the full-scale invasion, how many athletes have changed their sports citizenship?

Since the start of the full-scale war in Ukraine, a significant number of athletes have changed their sporting citizenship. The most notable changes occurred in chess: during this period, 110 Ukrainian chess players started representing other countries. Among them, 66 were minors, and 8 switched to the flag of Russia.

In total, according to the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Ukraine, approximately 300 athletes left the country during the war and never returned. Most of them were not members of national teams, but the list remains dynamic.
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Among the famous athletes who changed their citizenship are wrestler Semen Novikov, who joined the Bulgarian national team, and weightlifter Anton Plesnoy, who represents Georgia.

Thus, although the exact number of athletes who changed their citizenship during the war is unknown, there are at least 110 chess players and about 300 athletes who left Ukraine and never returned.

Why do athletes change their sports citizenship?

Athletes change their sporting citizenship for various reasons, and during the war, these motives have become particularly acute. The main reasons can be divided into several groups:

Sports and career motives
Better training conditions: modern infrastructure, availability of professional coaches, medicine.

More opportunities to perform: in some countries, competition is lower, so it is easier to get to international competitions.

Financial support: government funding, scholarships, awards, contracts with clubs.

Educational opportunities
Study abroad, particularly in the United States, where many athletes combine university and sports.

Participation in student competitions such as the NCAA or the Universiade, which require citizenship or registration in another country’s system.

Political or security situation
Fleeing war: evacuation, searching for a safe environment for oneself and family.

Inability to train in Ukraine due to the destruction of infrastructure or an unstable situation.

• Personal reasons
  Dual citizenship or family ties in another country.
• Family emigration and a desire to stay close.
• Marriage or other personal circumstances.

Conflicts with the sports federation

• Disagreement with the policy of the national federation.

• Lack of proper support or recognition.
• Corrupt or non-transparent selection processes for national teams.