An act that granted citizenship to Russian figure skater Aleksandr Sergeyevich Korovin gave the Philippines a major assist in their pursuit of their first-ever Winter Olympics medal.
Korovin was granted Philippine citizenship with all the rights, advantages, prerogatives, duties, and obligations associated with it under the Constitution and current laws on December 20, when President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. signed Republic Act No. 12115.
Huge help for Olympic bid
Since 2022, Korovin, who partners with Filipina figure skater Isabella Gamez, has competed internationally for the Philippine Skating Union.
As the first Southeast Asian duet to earn a medal in an International Skating Union tournament by winning a silver in France last 2022, the pair qualified for the 2023 and 2024 World Figure Skating Championships.
They were also selected to compete in the 2024 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating.
Shooting our shot in winter sports
Priorities for the two currently include qualifying for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy and competing in the Asian Winter Games in China in February.
Francis Tolentino, the Senate Majority Leader, said the signing of the law was a historic move for Philippine sports and demonstrated the nation's will to succeed despite its tropical identity.
“Just as our athletes have brought honor to the nation in the Summer Olympics, we aim to make strides in winter sports,” he said.
