Russian figure skater Naidenishev has become friends with Russian occupier Lebedev
Neutral Russian figure skater Daniil Naidenishev, who has been recognized as a neutral athlete by the International Skating Union (ISU), turned out to be friends with the Russian occupier Mikhail Lebedev. This is reported by 'Glavkom'.
On Instagram, Naidenishev is a subscriber of Lebedev's page, who is participating in the war against Ukraine. Lebedev posts photos and videos of his participation in the war against Ukraine on his page. It is worth noting that the occupier Lebedev is also a subscriber of Naidenishev.
This week it became known that Naidenishev has received visas for entering the USA and Canada. There will be two stages of the World Cup held there, during which points for participation in the Olympics will be at stake.
Participation in the World Cup and the 2026 Olympics
Additionally, he liked a post on Instagram supporting Russian aggression by the trusted person of dictator Vladimir Putin, gymnast Nikita Nagorny.
Qualifying stages of the World Cup in speed skating for Russians will take place in Salt Lake City, USA (from November 14 to 16), Calgary, Canada (November 21-23), Heerenveen, Netherlands (December 5-7), and Hamar, Norway (December 12-14). The Olympics 2026 will be held from February 6 to 22 in Italy.
As reported, Russian freestyler Anastasia Tatalina appealed to the International Ski Federation and Snowboarding (FIS) to allow her to participate in the 2026 Olympic Games.
Tatalina is a member of the Russian military club CSKA, an organization directly related to Russia's military involvement in the brutal aggression against Ukraine. Tatalina has also supported Russia's military actions and received a greeting from President Putin after winning the World Championship.
Neutral Russian figure skater Daniil Naidenishev and freestyler Anastasia Tatalina have been involved in supporting Russian occupiers and aggression against Ukraine, which may affect their participation in international competitions and their reputation in the sports world.