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Unique matchup: Olympic skating star Kostomarov challenges tennis ace Khachanov

Kostomarov, 46, won a gold medal at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, where he skated with partner Tatyana Navka in the ice dancing event

MOSCOW, December 6. /TASS/. Roman Kostomarov, Russia’s 2006 Winter Olympic champion in ice dancing, played a tennis match against World No. 15 Karen Khachanov, the figure skater wrote on his Telegram channel on Wednesday.

"Trying to play tennis, especially with Karen Khachanov, is a great pleasure for me and my daughter who plays tennis at the professional level. Karen, thanks for the memories, which I will remember forever," Kostomarov said.

In early January, Kostomarov was rushed to the ICU at Moscow’s Kommunarka Hospital for treatment for lung inflammation. The skater was in critical condition and was connected to an extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) life support machine. He was suffering from sepsis and had problems with blood circulation. It was reported in February that Kostomarov had both feet and both wrists amputated.

Kostomarov, 46, won a gold medal at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, where he skated with partner Tatyana Navka in the ice dancing event.

The duo of Kostomarov and Navka also clinched two gold medals at the World Championships, took home three golds at the European championships, and another three golds plus a silver at the ISU Grand Prix Finals.

Khachanov, 27, who is currently 15th in the ATP Rankings, is the winner of five ATP titles. His best performance in the Grand Slam series was when he reached the semifinal rounds at the 2022 US Open and the 2023 Australian Open. Khachanov also clinched the silver medal in men’s singles at the 2020 Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo.

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