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Vladimir Putin grants Aussie track star Russian citizenship

Shane Perkins says it was made clear there was no future for him with Cycling Australia

Vladimir Putin has signed an executive order to grant the Australia-born Olympic bronze medallist Shane Perkins Russian citizenship.

The cyclist represented Australia and won individual sprint bronze at the 2012 Olympic Games, but announced earlier this year that he wanted to switch sides.

It followed him being dropped from the 2016 Rio Olympics - and raises his chances of being selected for Tokyo 2020.

“I’m very grateful and I’d particularly like to thank the Russian Cycling Federation, president Vladimir Putin, my coach Vladimir Khozov and the strong team of people behind me that have made this transition possible,” Perkins told the Guardian.

“I’m ready to race for Russia at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, I am working very hard to continually raise the bar in my performances both at training and in racing and will continue to do so every step of the way in the lead up to and at the Games.”

He was encouraged to make the change by his Russian friend Denis Dmitriev, and has no ties to the country.

But he says when it was made clear that he would not be attending World Cups under the auspices of Cycling Australia - even when he said he would fund himself - he began looking for other avenues.

“I have a clean slate to prove myself to Russia,” Perkins said. “There is no history like there was with the Australian team.”

Last year we reported how three Russian track cyclists were barred from competing at the 2016 Olympic Games.

The trio – Dmitry Sokolov, Kirill Sveshnikov and Dmitry Strakhov – had all been selected initially for Russia’s men’s team pursuit squad in Rio.

But the three riders were dropped after being linked to EPO use in the McLaren report into doping in Russia, which found that positive anti-doping test results had been covered up.

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6 comments

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handlebarcam | 6 years ago
0 likes

I wonder if readers of the Pravda web site will log on whenever his exploits are reported, to make the same blindingly obvious comment that he wasn't born in the country he now represents, as dozens of unoriginal dullards do whenever Froome is mentioned by the BBC.

Avatar
Altimis | 6 years ago
1 like

I liked Shane Perkins  1 no matter which nation/citizenship he was in

Avatar
HalfWheeler | 6 years ago
4 likes

Putin's Russia is a Fascist regime; ultra-nationalist, authoritarian, anti-democratic, soaked in blood. They use sport to 'normalise' their image. I feel sorry for any Russian athlete who has to go accept their role in bolstering the dictatorship's image abroad just in order to compete. But to choose this path? Crazy. Or naive. But not wise.

Avatar
emishi55 replied to HalfWheeler | 6 years ago
1 like

HalfWheeler wrote:

Putin's Russia is a Fascist regime; ultra-nationalist, authoritarian, anti-democratic, soaked in blood. They use sport to 'normalise' their image. ...

 

Yes true.

Though Australia has a great deal to answer for in terms of some cities' attitudes towards cycling.

And can be considered to be setting a fine example for that recently elected president of the US to follow, in terms of using the environment as a bit of useless waste ground.  

Avatar
beezus fufoon | 6 years ago
2 likes

now he must queue for EPO injection

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Rapha Nadal | 6 years ago
0 likes

Ah, Mother Russia, that nice, safe, clean sporting haven...

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