Polina Shelepen to compete for Israel

[drivingmissdaisy]

I think it's too early to say who will be in the mix for Russian ladies in 2018. You never know with injuries, puberty monster, switching representations, motivation or lack thereof, personal or psychological issues (related to skating/competing or otherwise) when you are talking about a time 5 years into the future. It will be interesting to watch, but it's hard to say who will be in the mix for Pyeongchang and who will not. However, I do think this is a good move for Shelepen, she is too talented to have her international career be essentially over at the age of 17. Hopefully the coaching situation will prove to work better now that she is healthy again and not facing such stiff competition.

Agreed. They might have a superstar in the making who is just 11 years old right now and will just be age eligible in 2018. I think Adelina and Liza are going to be factors because they have a lot of good senior results already and factor into the medals at every event except Worlds.

 

[carriecmu0503]

Oh, no. I hope it doesn't mean that the Russian Federation would try create problems by refusing to release her?

A skater does not need a release from their former country to skate for a new country if they hold citizenship in their new country.

 

[Icey]

I'm confused: I thought she simply had a passport, not citizenship. That was why I asked my earlier question about a passport being sufficient to skate for a country.

 

[hanca]

I'm confused: I thought she simply had a passport, not citizenship. That was why I asked my earlier question about a passport being sufficient to skate for a country.

As far as I know, you can't have a passport of country you are not citizen.

 

[Icey]

Yes, of course. duh lol I guess, as a citizen, she is subject to the legally mandatory military service after she reaches the appropriate age.

 

[chuckm]

Russia had no problem snatching Volosozhar from Ukraine. But I suppose Russia regards Ukraine as a vassal state. :sarcasm:

 

[TryMeLater]

Yes, of course. duh lol I guess, as a citizen, she is subject to the legally mandatory military service after she reaches the appropriate age.

Yes and No.
It's a complicated issue.
Basically if she lives abroad at the age of 16, then she isn't subject to military service, but there are limitations to the number and duration of visits she can do in
Israel, without being enlisted (until a certain age, I believe its 21).
If she does enlists-she will most likely get an "elite sportswoman" status-which means she won't get hurt.
She can always pull a "Bar Rafaeli" and get married-Married women are not subject to military service.

Don't forget that the Israeli army is not the Russian army.

 

[tulosai]

Yes and No.
It's a complicated issue.
Basically if she lives abroad at the age of 16, then she isn't subject to military service, but there are limitations to the number and duration of visits she can do in
Israel, without being enlisted (until a certain age, I believe its 21).
If she does enlists-she will most likely get an "elite sportswoman" status-which means she won't get hurt.
She can always pull a "Bar Rafaeli" and get married-Married women are not subject to military service.

Don't forget that the Israeli army is not the Russian army.

IN addition under the sportswoman status she would not be enlisted the way most people are- she'd be given time to train, able to compete, and as noted not given an assignment where injury was in ANY way likely.