Russian tennis player Marat Safin was elected to Russian Parliament on Saturday, per local Moscow media.
Two-Time Grand Slam Winner Marat Safin Elected To Russian Parliament
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Safin, a tennis icon in his home country, is now part of the lower house of the Russian Parliament - the State Duma. A two-time Grand Slam champion, Safin retired from the ATP tour in November 2009.
The 31-year-old said in October that he wanted to run because he is “an intelligent guy” with “a lot of ideas.” Safin, a former World No. 1, won the parliamentary elections in the Nizhny Novgorod region. This region is about 500 kilometers (roughly 311 miles) from Moscow.
Safin isn’t the first Russian to go from sports to politics. He joins a list of gymnasts and figure skaters, including rhythmic gymnast Alina Kaaeva and Olympic champion figure skater Anton Sikharulidze.
“I thought for a long time before deciding to go into politics,” Safin said. “Of course I could pose in fashion commercials showing myself as a high society star but it’s definitely not my lifestyle.
UPDATE: On Thursday, the official results for the Russian Parliament were released. Olympic wrestler Alexander Karelin and boxer Nikolai Valuev also joined Safin in winning seats under Prime Minister Vladimir Putin. Safin, 31, is one of the youngest members of the 450-set legislation.
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