Elizaveta Khudaiberdieva: “I’m confident that our pair would have passed ISU checks, but we knew we weren’t the top-ranked team in the national team.”
Elizaveta Khudaiberdieva reflects on ending her career with Egor Bazin and the challenges of Olympic qualification.
original source: MatchTV dd. June 11th by Sergei Astakhov
In an interview with Match TV, Russian ice dance national champion Elizaveta Khudaiberdieva explained the joint decision she and her partner Egor Bazin made to end their competitive careers. She stated that if the Russian Figure Skating Federation (FFKKR) had asked them to maintain readiness for Olympic qualification, they would not have retired. Here’s a translation.
Reflecting on Retirement
Khudaiberdieva and Bazin announced their retirement in April 2025. The duo has an impressive competitive record, crowned as the 2023 Russian champions, two-time national silver medalists (2024, 2025), and bronze medalists in 2022.
When asked whether their decision was influenced by the slim chance of receiving neutral status to compete internationally, Khudaiberdieva clarified: “In our career, we never had issues with doping controls or any flags from WADA or anything else that could harm our reputation. I’m confident that our pair would have passed ISU checks, but we knew we weren’t the top-ranked team in the national squad. We’ve been in the position of alternates for the Olympics before, and it’s emotionally very challenging.”
Challenges as Alternates
Khudaiberdieva opened up about the psychological toll of being an alternate: “Over the past few years, including last season, it became clear — especially after the Russian Nationals showed such a scoring gap — that we couldn’t realistically aim for the number-one spot in the team.”
When asked if they had considered the possibility that top-ranked ice dancers Aleksandra Stepanova and Ivan Bukin might not compete due to injury, Khudaiberdieva emphasized: “Nobody approached us or discussed our status as primary or reserve athletes. Of course, if the federation had requested us to stay in shape or maintain readiness, we would not have ended our careers.”
On Communication in Sports
Khudaiberdieva dismissed the idea that they felt abandoned: “If you think that the leadership doesn’t have heart-to-heart conversations, you’re mistaken,” she said, suggesting there were open lines of communication within the federation.
ISU Decisions on Neutral Status
In May, the ISU announced its decisions regarding neutral status for Russian athletes. Adeliia Petrosian, Petr Gumennik, Alina Gorbacheva, and Vladislav Dikidzhi received neutral status, allowing them to participate in international competitions. However, the pairs team of Anastasia Mishina and Aleksandr Galliamov, as well as the ice dance duo of Aleksandra Stepanova and Ivan Bukin, were not granted neutral status following ISU assessments.
The figure skating qualification events for the 2026 Olympics are set to take place in Beijing from September 17–21. The Winter Games themselves will be held in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo from February 6–22, 2026.
Related topics: Elizaveta Khudaiberdieva Egor Bazin
Well… that’s going to light the blue touchpaper, for sure…