Gymnast Ilya Kovtun, the 21-year-old silver medalist of the 2024 Olympic Games, and his coach Irina Gorbacheva have applied for Croatian citizenship, the head coach of the Croatian national team, Vladimir Madzarević, told the Jutarnij List.
The Croatian Gymnastics Federation has already allowed the athlete to compete. To change his citizenship, he only needs to obtain a Croatian passport.
If Kovtun receives his citizenship, he will have two options for making his debut for the Croatian national team. If Ukraine permits him, he can represent Croatia at the beginning of this season. In other circumstances, the gymnast must serve a year-long “quarantine” and miss the European and World Championships in 2025.
