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Milan: Australian figure skater Hektor Giotopoulos Moore has admitted preparations for the Milano Cortina Olympics for him and his Russian-raised skating partner were compromised by the steps the pair took to ensure that she was granted Australian citizenship.
To comply with citizenship requirements, Anastasia Golubeva had to spend 180 days in Australia over two years, and the skating couple were unable to leave Australia from late August until just before Christmas, when her citizenship came through.
Australian figure skaters Anastasia Golubeva and Hektor Giotopoulos Moore.Credit: AP
This meant missing the first half of the figure skating season, which is centred in the northern hemisphere.
Previously, the pair had even considered seeking to skate for Russia, where they were based for some years. Russian Olympic competitors are not allowed to compete under their flag because the country is banned by the IOC, but they can compete as individuals. Giotopoulos Moore speaks Russian.
“Yeah, it definitely did compromise the first half of the season,” said Giotopoulos Moore of the citizenship requirements for Golubeva. “But looking back, we would do it again, no questions asked.
“It was either go and compete in the regular season and risk not getting a passport, which means no Olympics. Or miss the bit of the regular season, get your passport and go to the Olympics. I mean, it’s a pretty easy, easy choice.
Golubeva and Giotopoulos Moore perform at last year’s world championships.Credit: Getty Images
“Most athletes work towards the Olympics their whole lives, and you know if we had missed that opportunity I feel like we would have, excuse the French, but kicked ourselves in the nuts for it. Yeah, there was no chance we were going to risk anything.”
The Russia option – which has since been made less attractive by the fact athletes cannot represent the country – was also a hard road.
“When we started skating together there were even thoughts about representing Russia,” said Giotopoulos Moore.
“But in the end we decided Australia because we have amazing support for athletes there and amazing benefits for athletes, and plus the competition in Russia is such a high calibre.
“Even to make to a position to be able to the Olympics you have to be at such a high level, it’s almost impossible.
“You have to have political backing, you have to have, you know, be with one of the top coaches over there. You have to be really amazing to be able to make the team there.
Giotopoulos Moore, who has Greek dual citizenship, said he also contemplated that option but had grown up in Australia, had roots in Australia (mainly in Sydney but with family in Melbourne) and wanted to skate for his home nation.
“So we were stuck in Australia from late August, early September until December. We missed the first half of our season.
Golubeva and Giotopoulos Moore perform at last year’s world championships.Credit: Getty Images
“We were staying with my aunties in Melbourne and we were training in the ice house there.”
The citizen bid involved some uncertainty. “Of course, we were worried about it,” Giotopoulos Moore said of Golubeva’s eventually successful bid for citizenship. “But we kind of knew in the back of our minds we’re doing everything, they’re the rules and eventually it will come through.”
The pair had skated superbly in the 2025 world championships (before she was an Australian) finishing ninth, an unheard of result for Australians.
But they are not setting any goals for Milano Cortina in terms of their finish in the pecking order, an aspiration that likely bespeaks their challenging preparations.
Anastasiia Golubeva’s Australian citizenship came through just in time.Credit: IOC via Getty Images
“For this Olympic, our goal is just to be honest is to enjoy every minute, enjoy every step on the ice,” said Golubeva. “Because it’s our first Olympic, it’s no expectation for us, just enjoy it.”
Giotopoulos Moore added on the expectations for Milano Cortina: “We had COVID last season, we missed most of the competition as well. Even us being here is a miracle and us being able to represent Australian is incredible for us. So honestly, we’re just happy to be here…we want to be happy with how we skated.”
The pair were comfortable addressing the question that surrounds many ice skating duos – of whether they were a romantic couple off the ice. Giotopoulos Moore said they were not.
“No, not really. We’re just very, very close off the ice, very good friends.”
Giotopoulos Moore said they had considered Greece initially. “We did when we started skating together, but in the end… I wanted to represent Australia. I grew up there, all my friends are from there, everybody’s in Australia so we ended up deciding Australia.”
Golubeva said of the choice of citizenship she had made: “I feel very happy to represent Australia, to be part of Australian team.”
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Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: www.smh.com.au
