Diver Alexandra Bibikina explained why she decided to compete for Armenia. The 23-year-old Russian athlete made her debut as part of the Armenian national team at the 2025 Eurasian Countries Cup in diving at the end of March, where she won a bronze medal.
"Why did I decide to compete for Armenia? I want to dive, I want to perform on the international stage," Bibikina said. "An athlete's career is short, and I will already be 23 this year, so I thought about it and decided to change my sports nationality."
"I only obtained the right to compete for Armenia in mid-March, after which I flew to Sakhalin for the Eurasian Countries Cup. At that tournament, I managed to win a medal for my new country. Why Armenia? It was a mutual decision, and we quickly reached an agreement."
"The Russian federation reacted calmly to my decision to compete for Armenia, simply saying, 'Okay.' They did not create any obstacles. I had no conflicts with anyone; I was only driven by my desire to compete at a high international level as soon as possible. My main goal for the next four-year cycle is to try to secure an Olympic license for Armenia and go to the 2028 Games in Los Angeles."
"I do not have to undergo any quarantine period related to the transition. I plan to participate in all major international competitions this year. The last time I competed for Russia was in August 2023 at the International University Sports Festival in Yekaterinburg, where I won a bronze medal on the three-meter springboard. As for the BRICS Games in Kazan the following summer, I did not qualify," the athlete said in an interview with TASS.