Veronika Zhilina returned one million rubles (approximately 21,000 manats) to the Russian Figure Skating Federation as compensation for sports training.
Idman.biz reports that the neighboring country's RIA Novosti agency reported this.
The 17-year-old athlete, the winner of the Russian Grand Prix final among juniors in figure skating, wants to represent the Azerbaijani national team in the future. Although Zhilina, who received an Azerbaijani passport, applied for a change of sports citizenship, the Executive Committee of the Federation rejected it.
As a result, Zhilina reimbursed the costs for the 2023/24 and 2024/25 seasons, as well as three calendar years funded by the state as a member of the extended Russian national team. She also paid for the preparation of costumes for performances.
The source noted that the figure skater has been registered in Azerbaijan since 2023 and has not participated in tournaments in Russia for the last two years.
Idman.biz