Last-minute citizenship change paves way for figure skater's Olympic debut
Figure skater Anastasia Golubeva becomes an Australian citizen, just six weeks out from the Milano-Cortina Olympics.
Russian-born figure skater Anastasia Golubeva has been given the green light to compete for Australia at the 2026 Milano-Cortina Olympics after a change to the Australian Citizenship Act.
The 19-year-old has been competing for Australia on the world stage alongside skating partner Hektor Giotopoulos Moore since 2021 but has only just secured her citizenship, six weeks out from the start of the Games.
The pair qualified for the Winter Olympics at the ISU World Skating Championships in March 2025, finishing in ninth-place and setting a career-best score in the short program.
Giotopoulos Moore and Golubeva qualified in March for next month's Olympics. (Supplied: ISU Figure Skating)
To compete at an Olympic Games, athletes must be a citizen of the country they wish to represent, not just permanent residency.
To be eligible for citizenship, applicants must have resided in Australia for 180 days in the two years prior to submitting their paperwork.
For elite athletes like Golubeva, whose sport involves travel across the Northern Hemisphere for most of the year to train and compete at the highest level, fulfilling the 180-day requirement meant compromising her Olympic preparation.
"We kind of [had to] skip our competition. We skipped all [of the] first half of this season, which affected our rating points," Golubeva said.
"The situation was quite hard. It was a really tough period for our team because we kind of left behind our choreographers here, our special coaches, our gym coach."
Following a request by the Australian Olympic Committee to Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke, a bill to amend the Citizenship Act was introduced before being passed in late November, which gives the minister "personal, discretionary power" to waive the 180-day requirement if the nature of the applicant's overseas travel sees them taking part in "an activity of benefit to Australia".
The change paved the way for Golubeva to receive her citizenship in the days before Christmas.
"To be honest, it's a big relief for me. I'm really happy about this news … I'm really happy and proud about it," Golubeva said.
Golubeva was the beneficiary of a direct appeal to Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke. (Supplied: ISU Figure Skating)
Golubeva and Giotopoulos Moore's campaign at the Milano-Cortina Olympics begins on February 15.