Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — Russian athletes Anastasia Bakhtyreva and Violetta Evenko have changed their sporting nationality and will represent Uzbekistan in artistic swimming. They will make their debut for the national team at the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games, competing in the women’s duet on 26 and 27 September, Uzbekistan Aquatics said.
Uzbekistan Aquatics supported the athletes’ decision to continue their careers and created the necessary conditions for their training in Uzbekistan. World Aquatics also approved the change of their sporting affiliation in accordance with established procedures.
Bakhtyreva, 23, was a member of Russia’s senior national team from 2022 to 2025. At the 2025 World Championships in Singapore, she won silver medals in the technical and acrobatic team events. In 2021, she became a three-time European junior champion.
Evenko, 21, achieved notable results at youth and junior level. At the 2019 World Junior Championships, she won three gold medals, while at the 2021 European Junior Championships she also claimed three golds.
During Russia’s suspension from international competitions, both athletes continued competing in domestic and other events. They took part in the 2022 Solidarity Games, the 2023 Federation Cup and the 2024 Russian Championships.
For Evenko, joining Uzbekistan’s national team marks a return to competitive sport after a two-year break. She said that during this period she led a normal student life and worked at a fitness club, but eventually decided she wanted to resume her sporting career.
The opportunity to compete for Uzbekistan was proposed by Bakhtyreva. She said that after her mother moved to Uzbekistan for work, she decided to continue her sporting career in the country and then invited Evenko to join her.
Bakhtyreva and Evenko had never previously competed together as a duet, despite spending many years on the same national team. In Uzbekistan, they will compete as a duet under coach Yulia Miteva, who worked with both athletes during their junior careers in Russia and has 19 years of experience in elite sport.
The duet’s reserve athlete will be 17-year-old Sabina Makhmudova. Last season, she competed at the World Junior Championships and at World Cup events in Paris and Xi’an.
Uzbekistan Aquatics said the project is aimed not only at preparing a new international duet. Joint training with experienced athletes is expected to give other Uzbek artistic swimmers an opportunity to gain international experience in technical difficulty, synchronisation, artistry and psychological preparation.
The federation believes this will strengthen the competitive environment within the country, help develop Uzbek athletes and introduce modern international approaches to the training system.
Bakhtyreva and Evenko’s switch also gives Uzbekistan a potential opportunity to compete for qualification for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. Uzbek athletes have not previously competed in artistic swimming at the Olympics.
