Oleg Vasiliev says Aleksandr Lukashenko backed proposed Plushenko switch

Former Belarus figure-skating head coach Oleg Vasiliev said Aleksandr Lukashenko supported bringing Aleksandr Plushenko into the national team. The talks did not result in a switch to Belarus, and the skater now represents Azerbaijan.

In comments to RIA Novosti reported by Russian outlets on October 9, Vasiliev described a meeting between the skater's parents and Belarus sports minister Sergei Kovalchuk. He said the president fully supported the proposal for Plushenko to represent the country.

Vasiliev claims the Belarusian Skating Union blocked the move. A RIA Novosti source familiar with the situation gave a different account: Russia's federation received requests from Belarus and Azerbaijan in May, and the skater and his parents chose Azerbaijan. Belarus then withdrew its request.

The Figure Skating Federation of Russia approved Plushenko's move to Azerbaijan in May. Vasiliev's new comments therefore concern earlier negotiations, rather than an impending change of team.