Pavel Eygel, a Russian canoeist, has switched his sporting nationality from Russia to Uzbekistan, TASS reports.
«I want to emphasise that my decision to move to Uzbekistan has nothing to do with the current restrictions on Russian athletes competing in international events,» the athlete explained.
The switch to Uzbekistan’s national team came as a result of a new strategy adopted by Russia’s coaching staff. According to Eygel, Russian officials have prioritised rejuvenating the national squad, now allowing only athletes born in 1994 or later to represent the country. Eygel was born in 1990.
Despite delivering strong performances, team officials placed Eygel in reserve.
He noted that he has represented Uzbekistan since early spring this year and has already won a gold medal at the Thailand Open. His main goal, he added, is to compete in the Los Angeles Olympic Games.
Pavel Eygel was born on March 1, 1990 in Moscow. In 2018, he won a bronze medal at the Canoe Slalom World Championships.
