ASTANA – Two representatives from Kazakhstan have been appointed as referees for the 2026 Winter Olympics, officiating in figure skating and freestyle moguls, according to the International Olympic Committee.
Photo credit: Reuters
Official documents show that Kazakhstan will be represented among referees in two of the 16 medal sports on the Olympic program.
In figure skating, Nadezhda Paretskaya has been appointed as a referee for the men’s and women’s singles events. An international judge with the International Skating Union (ISU), Paretskaya is also a figure skating coach based in Almaty. She has trained 15 athletes for national teams, including medalists at national and international competitions. The specific segment she will judge, the short or free program, will be determined by draw shortly before the competitions, reported Kazinform on Feb. 4.
In freestyle skiing, Yuliya Degteva will serve as a referee for the Olympic moguls events. A former member of Kazakhstan’s national freestyle moguls team, she competed at the 2006 and 2010 Winter Olympics and won a silver medal at the 2011 Asian Winter Games. Degteva is currently an FIS Level A judge and has officiated at World Championships and World Cup events. She will judge men’s and women’s individual and dual moguls, with specific responsibilities, such as jumps or skiing technique, assigned closer to the start of competition.
Kazakhstan has 36 athletes competing across 10 sports.
