Azerbaijan files complaint to IOC over Armenia figure skaters' performance under song ‘Artsakh’ (VIDEO)
17:23 6 February, 2026Azerbaijan has filed a complaint with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) over Armenia figure skaters' performance under the song, “Artsakh”—the Armenian word for Nagorno-Karabakh.
The Karina Akopova/Nikita Rakhmanin pair skating duo, who will represent Armenia at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy, will perform in the short program to the song, "Artsakh" by Armenian musician and composer Ara Gevorgyan.
The Azerbaijani side claims that the use of the song "Artsakh" within the framework of the Olympic Games has a political connotation and contradicts the principles of the Olympic Charter, reports Apa.az.
The Karina Akopova/Nikita Rakhmanin duo will compete in the short program on February 15, and in the free program on February 16.
Before leaving for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, the Karina Akopova/Nikita Rakhmanin duo had held their last training session in Yerevan, which was followed by a NEWS.am Sport correspondent.
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