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Nationality changes in gymnastics

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Nationality changing in the sport of gymnastics is when a gymnast opts to represent a new country in international competitions. Gymnasts may request a nationality change through their federations, provided they have citizenship. The number of nationality changes a federation may request for athletes is limited to two per year per discipline and three over all disciplines. If the previous country gives consent for the gymnast to represent the new country, the gymnast may immediately begin representing the new country in competition. If consent is not granted, the gymnast will have to wait a year before they can represent the new country. If a gymnast has already been granted a nationality change, they must wait a minimum of three years before they can make a new request.[1]

This is a list of notable gymnasts who have represented multiple countries in gymnastics competitions and had a valid FIG license for each. This list does not include gymnasts who competed for a new nation after the dissolution of their former country (i.e.: Soviet gymnasts).

Artistic gymnastics

[edit]
Name of gymnast Original nation New nation Year Ref
Rustam Akhmad Ukraine Azerbaijan2018[2]
Adem Asil Egypt Turkey2019[3]
Sydney Barros United States Puerto Rico2022[4]
Reiss Beckford Great Britain Jamaica2015[5]
Charlotte Booth United States Great Britain2024[6]
Georgia-Rose Brown Australia New Zealand2023[7]
Oksana Chusovitina Uzbekistan Germany2006[8]
 Germany Uzbekistan2013
Adam Cogat France Algeria2024[9]
Ioannis Chronopoulos Canada Greece2026[10]
Dominick Cunningham Great Britain Ireland2022[11]
Tara Donnelly Ireland Great Britain2021[12]
Aleah Finnegan United States Philippines2022[13]
Danusia Francis Great Britain Jamaica2018[14]
Rozalia Galiyeva Uzbekistan Russia1995[15]
Alexa Grande Guatemala El Salvador2019[16]
Vitaliy Guimaraes United States Brazil2025[17]
Annia Hatch Cuba United States2003[18]
Halle Hilton Great Britain Ireland2022[19]
Yulia Inshina Russia Azerbaijan2013[20]
David Jessen United States Czech Republic2015[21]
Viktoria Karpenko Ukraine Bulgaria2003
Maria Kharenkova Russia Georgia2019[22]
Illia Kovtun Ukraine Croatia2025[23]
Carina Kroell Germany Austria2022
Nikolai Kuksenkov Ukraine Russia2013
Evgeniya Kuznetsova Russia Bulgaria2001
Adam Lakomy United States Czech Republic2026[24]
Djenna Laroui France Algeria2026
Li Donghua China Switzerland1994
Emma Malabuyo United States Philippines2023[25]
Tyesha Mattis Great Britain Jamaica2022[26]
Dorien Motten Belgium Georgia2023[27]
Kaylia Nemour France Algeria2023[28]
Ellis O'Reilly Great Britain Ireland2014[29]
John Orozco United States Puerto Rico2020[30]
Petro Pakhniuk Ukraine Azerbaijan2014
 Azerbaijan Ukraine2017
Tonya Paulsson Sweden Chinese Taipei2025[17]
Anna Pavlova Russia Azerbaijan2013
Eddie Penev Bulgaria United States2011[31]
 United States Bulgaria2023[32]
Matvei Petrov Russia Albania2018
Levi Ruivivar United States Philippines2023[33]
Irina Sazonova Russia Iceland2015[34]
Maria Smirnova Russia Azerbaijan2013
Radomyr Stelmakh Ukraine Germany2026[35]
Oleg Stepko Ukraine Azerbaijan2014[36]
 Azerbaijan Russia2018
Tiana Sumanasekera United States Sri Lanka2026[37]
Ayelén Tarabini Argentina Kyrgyzstan2023
İvan Tixonov Russia Azerbaijan2018[2]
Marius Tobă Romania Germany1991
Ignacio Yockers United States Spain2025[23]

Rhythmic gymnastics

[edit]
Name of gymnast Original nation New nation Year Ref
Elizaveta Lugovskikh Russia Montenegro2022[28]
Katerina Pisetsky Ukraine Israel2002
Amina Zaripova Uzbekistan Russia1990
Ekaterina Vedeneeva Russia Slovenia2018[2]
Carmel Kallemaa Estonia Canada2019
Rachel Stoyanov North Macedonia Bulgaria2022
Eleonora Romanova Ukraine Russia2017
Elizaveta Nazarenkova Russia Uzbekistan2014
Mary Sanders Canada United States2002
Artemi Gavezou Greece Spain2013
Yanika Vartlaan Estonia Ukraine2018
Anastasia Simakova Russia Germany2022
Alexandra Agiurgiuculese Romania Italy2015[21]
Vera Tugolukova Russia Cyprus2022
Margarita Mamun Bangladesh Russia2010
Elif Zeynep Celep Turkey Azerbaijan2015[21]
Daniela Mogurean Moldova Italy2015
Tatyana Volozhanina Russia Bulgaria2017
Ayshan Bayramova Azerbaijan2014
Aliya Garayeva2005
Dinara Gimatova???
Svetlana Rudalova Ukraine Belarus???
Yelyzaveta Luzan Azerbaijan2015[21]
Siyana Vasileva Bulgaria2013
Veronika Hudis Ukraine2015[21]
Annaliese Dragan  United States  Romania 2019 [38]
Brigita Budginas Lithuania2019
Narendra Sutjiati Indonesia2019
Emily Beznos Moldova2023
Anna Khutsishvili Georgia France2025
Judith Hauser  Hungary  Germany 2012
Kizzy Rivas  Venezuela  Colombia 2022
Melaniia Tur  Ukraine  Israel 2024
Nika Zajc  Slovenia  Switzerland 2024
Fernanda Heinemann  Brazil  Paraguay 2024
Oriana Viñas  Venezuela  Colombia 2017
Eva Blanka Gyulai  Hungary  Portugal 2025
Olivia Fischer Martinez Suchkova  United States  El Salvador 2025
Lisa Garac  Romania  Germany 2026

Trampoline gymnastics

[edit]
Name of gymnast Original nation New nation Year Ref
Anna Dogonadze Georgia Germany1998
Ángel Hernández Spain Colombia2013[39]
Iana Lebedeva Russia Belarus2025[40]

References

[edit]
  1. ↑ "Statutes: Edition 2022" (PDF). International Gymnastics Federation. January 1, 2022.
  2. 1 2 3 "Official news: Summary of decisions from the FIG Executive Committee". International Gymnastics Federation. July 27, 2018.
  3. ↑ "Official News: Summary of decisions from the Executive Committee meeting". International Gymnastics Federation. February 21, 2019.
  4. ↑ "Official News from the Executive Committee - November 2022". International Gymnastics Federation. November 12, 2022.
  5. ↑ "Gymnast Reiss Beckford Seeking to Create History for Jamaica – Jamaica Information Service".
  6. ↑ "Official news from the Executive Committee - May 2024". International Gymnastics Federation. June 2, 2024.
  7. ↑ "Official News from the Executive Committee - November 2023". International Gymnastics Federation. 23 November 2023.
  8. ↑ "Ageless Wonder Oksana Chusovitina Competing in Eighth Olympics at 46". Sports Illustrated. June 24, 2021.
  9. ↑ "Official news from the Executive Committee - February 2024". World Gymnastics. February 28, 2024.
  10. ↑ "Official News from the Executive Committee - July 2026". World Gymnastics. July 28, 2026.
  11. ↑ "Official news from the Executive Committee - February 2022". International Gymnastics Federation. February 26, 2022.
  12. ↑ "Official news from the Executive Committee - February 2021". International Gymnastics Federation. February 25, 2021.
  13. ↑ "Exclusive: Aleah Finnegan overwhelmed by "love and support" at SEA Games". International Olympic Committee. May 16, 2022.
  14. ↑ "Coventry-born gymnast Danusia Francis is heading to the 2020 Olympics". Coventry Telegraph. October 20, 2019.
  15. ↑ "The Russian Gymnasts Who Broke Our Hearts". The Medal Count. November 30, 2019.
  16. ↑ "Alexa Grande". 18 September 2019.
  17. 1 2 "Official news from the Executive Committee". International Gymnastics Federation. February 27, 2025.
  18. ↑ "Biography: HATCH, Annia Portuondo". USA Gymnastics Hall of Fame.
  19. ↑ "European championships beckon for Ipswich gymnast". 2 August 2022.
  20. ↑ "Yulia Inshina announced her retirement". Gymnovosti. October 7, 2018.
  21. 1 2 3 4 5 "FIG Executive Committee - Official News". International Gymnastics Federation. 3 March 2015. Retrieved 31 March 2025.
  22. ↑ "Maria Kharenkova will compete for Georgia". Gymnovosti. August 24, 2019.
  23. 1 2 "Official news from the Executive Committee - Lausanne (SUI) 9-10 July 2025". International Gymnastics Federation. July 11, 2025.
  24. ↑ "Official news from the Executive Committee - May 2026". World Gymnastics. May 18, 2026.
  25. ↑ "Emma Malabuyo plans to compete balance beam, floor exercise for the Philippines at upcoming Asian Championships". International Olympic Committee. May 26, 2023.
  26. ↑ "British sisters make the switch to Jamaica gymnastics". The Gleaner. June 15, 2022.
  27. ↑ Hopkins, Lauren. "Around the Gymternet: Don't come here for daddy daughter meet discourse". The Gymternet. Retrieved 27 January 2023.
  28. 1 2 "Official News from the Executive Committee – July 2022". International Gymnastics Federation. July 22, 2022.
  29. ↑ "FIG Executive Committee announces news, nationality changes". International Gymnastics Federation. March 3, 2014.
  30. ↑ "John Orozco, U.S. Olympic gymnast, switches to Puerto Rico". NBC Sports. 3 March 2020.
  31. ↑ "Eddie and Kevin Penev renew careers, revel in success representing Bulgaria". International Gymnast Media. December 30, 2023.
  32. ↑ "Official News from the Executive Committee – March 2023". gymnastics.sport. March 3, 2023. Retrieved August 14, 2024.
  33. ↑ "Fil-Am Levi Jung-Ruivivar leaves US team to bolster PH gymnastics". ABS-CBN. September 8, 2023.
  34. ↑ "Irina Sazonova FIG profile". International Gymnastics Federation.
  35. ↑ "Official News from the Executive Committee - March 2026". World Gymnastics. March 13, 2026.
  36. ↑ "Stepko: If I Stayed In Azerbaijan Or Went Back To Ukraine, I Would've Retired Already". Gymnovosti. May 7, 2018.
  37. ↑ Price, Caroline (June 22, 2026). "Former U.S. Olympic Alternate Tiana Sumanasekera To Represent Sri Lanka". Forbes.
  38. ↑ "Official News from the Executive Committee meeting in Lausanne". International Gymnastics Federation. July 11, 2019.
  39. ↑ "Ángel Hernández, de brillar con España en trampolín a saltar con Colombia en Tokio" [Angel Hernandez, from shining with Spain on the trampoline to jumping with Colombia in Tokyo]. Minuto30 (in Spanish). 20 July 2021. Retrieved 23 February 2025.
  40. ↑ "Official news from the Executive Committee - October 2025". International Gymnastics Federation. 10 September 2025. Retrieved 20 November 2025.
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