Belarusian figure skater seeking $25,000 to represent U.S.

Belarusian figure skater Ivan Dziasyatau, who does ice dancing, has announced a fundraiser. The young man wants to pay off the Belarusian Skating Union and start skating for the American national team, writes reform.by.

The athlete plans to collect 25 thousand dollars. This is the amount needed for the Belarusian Sports Union to let him go, says Dziasyatau. This amount includes the reimbursement of training expenses.

Dziasyatau represented Belarus in the 2021-2022 season. He moved to the United States two weeks after the war began.

Dziasyatau's page says it was a spontaneous decision: "He made a spontaneous decision to leave everything he knew behind to get a chance to influence his future regardless of the geopolitics in Russia. Wanting to fulfill his dream, he booked a flight to the United States with little knowledge of the language, culture, or plans."

In early June 2022, Dziasyatau began training with Isabella Flores. At the end of the 2022-2023 season, the athlete began negotiations to change federations.

By the evening of June 6, he managed to raise about $12,000.

Currently, the Belarusian figure skaters are suspended from international competitions.