Figure skater Anastasia Golubeva has been granted Australian citizenship, allowing her to represent Australia at the 2026 Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics. Golubeva, originally from Russia, has competed for Australia alongside partner Hektor Giotopoulos Moore since 2021.
The duo secured qualification for the Winter Olympics at the ISU World Skating Championships in March 2025, where they placed ninth and achieved a personal best score in the short program.
To compete in the Olympic Games, athletes must hold citizenship of the nation they represent. Prior to recent legislative changes, Australian citizenship applicants were required to have resided in Australia for 180 days within the two years preceding their application. For elite athletes whose training and competition schedules frequently involve international travel, adherence to this residency stipulation presented challenges. Golubeva's preparations for the current season were modified to facilitate the citizenship process, impacting early season rating points.
Following a request from the Australian Olympic Committee to Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke, a bill was introduced to amend the Australian Citizenship Act. The bill, passed in late November, grants the Minister discretionary authority to waive the 180-day residency requirement when an applicant's overseas travel is for an activity deemed beneficial to Australia.
This legislative amendment enabled Golubeva to receive her citizenship in December. The pair's Olympic campaign is scheduled to begin on February 15.