Kulizhnikov was a talented junior and prodigy, winning numerous of the Junior World Cup in the 2010–2011 and 2011–2012 seasons. At the 2012 World Junior Championships in Obihiro, Japan, then 17-year-old Kulizhnikov won gold in the 1000 meters and bronze in the 500 meters, but was later disqualified for a doping violation, with his results annulled, and suspended for two years ending his quest to compete at the 2014 Sochi Olympics. Kulizhnikov stated that methylhexanamine was found in his body because of a nasal spray for colds.
