Ukraine’s diving federation has revoked all national titles and honors from Sofiia Lyskun after the 23-year-old Olympian abruptly switched her sporting allegiance to Russia, a decision that has jolted Ukrainian sport in the middle of an ongoing war between the two nations.
Lyskun, a two-time Olympian and one of Ukraine’s most decorated divers of the past decade, confirmed the move earlier this week in an interview with Russia’s Izvestia newspaper.
She said she no longer felt she was developing under Ukrainian coaches and believed her career prospects were stronger in Moscow.
The federation said the decision was made without informing her coaches, national officials or the country’s sports ministry – a silence they described as an “unacceptable betrayal.”
“Such steps discredit not only an individual athlete, but the entire team of Ukraine fighting every day to represent our country,” the federation said, adding it will petition World Aquatics and other international bodies to impose a formal “sports quarantine,” which could sideline her under rules governing nationality changes during geopolitical conflict.
Lyskun’s choice lands in a volatile moment.
Russian and Belarusian athletes have been barred from World Aquatics competitions since Moscow’s 2022 invasion, though some competed as neutrals at the Paris Olympics under strict conditions.
Lyskun, by contrast, has moved toward full representation of Russia, a rare and inflammatory direction for an active Ukrainian athlete since the war began.
Born in Luhansk – a city consumed by conflict since 2014 – Lyskun climbed rapidly through Ukraine’s system after relocating to Kyiv as a teenager.
She built a resume that positioned her among Europe’s top platform divers, collecting medals at virtually every major international event: team gold at the 2018 European Championships in Glasgow, Youth Olympic silver in Buenos Aires, multiple World Aquatics medals and, most recently, 10-meter synchro gold alongside Kseniia Bailo at the 2024 European Championships in Belgrade.
She competed in the 10-meter platform at both the Tokyo and Paris Olympics, finishing 16th and 11th respectively, and was widely viewed as a cornerstone of Ukraine’s post-pandemic diving program.
But in her interview, Lyskun described Ukrainian coaching as “no longer helping me grow,” claiming her coaches “were all gymnasts or trampoline athletes.” She said she attempted to obtain Russian citizenship twice before succeeding this year. Russia’s diving federation did not respond to requests for comment.
The backlash in Ukraine has been swift. Sports officials have publicly condemned the switch, with National Olympic Committee president Vadym Gutzeit calling it “simply a betrayal.”
Broadcasters and journalists described her move as “a stab in the back,” echoing public sentiment in a country where athletes have become symbols of national endurance during wartime.
World Aquatics has yet to comment on Lyskun’s eligibility.
Under federation rules, athletes switching nations typically face a multi-year waiting period, and wartime restrictions could further complicate any attempt by her to compete for Russia – neutral or otherwise – at the 2026 World Aquatics Championships in Singapore.
