Overview
- Russian state media reported on Dec. 4 that Sofiya Lyskun has given up Ukrainian citizenship and accepted Russian citizenship, citing her interview with Izvestia.
- Lyskun alleges she faced discrimination in Ukraine for maintaining ties with Russian‑speaking athletes and coaches, including public criticism at team meetings in Kyiv.
- She criticizes what she describes as incompetent coaching in Ukraine and says her athletic development stalled as she increasingly prepared herself without support.
- The diver recounts significant psychological strain linked to her training environment, saying she missed practices and broke down in tears.
- Lyskun, 23, was born in Luhansk and owns international medals including 2022 world silver and 2018 and 2024 European titles, and she notes recent training camps in Poland; the reports include no independent confirmation or response from Ukrainian sports authorities.