MOSCOW, December 27. /TASS/. Roman Kostomarov, Russia’s 2006 Winter Olympic champion in ice dancing, can be certainly named the person of the outgoing year, Ilya Averbukh, a Russian Olympic figure skating medalist, told journalists on Wednesday.

Asked by journalists who can be named be best athlete of 2023, Averbukh replied that: "It is a very complicated question."

"However, the character and personality portraying the outgoing year should certainly be attributed to Roman Kostomarov and there must be no doubts about it," Averbukh said.

On December 17, Kostomarov and his wife Oksana Domnina appeared on the ice for the first time after the Russian figure skater was discharged from the hospital.

Later that day, Kostomarov and his previous skating partner Tatiana Navka were paired again on the ice in what should have been seemed a repeat to their fabulous gold medal performance at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turn to the tune of ‘Carmen’ music.

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.