Russian gymnast Ivan Kuliak is expected to be investigated after displaying a symbol on his uniform supporting the invasion of Ukraine.
Kuliak taped the “Z” symbol — seen on Russian tanks and military vehicles in Ukraine and embraced by supporters of the war — to his vest for a medal ceremony at a World Cup event at the weekend in Doha, Qatar.
He took bronze in parallel bars and stood next to a gold medallist from Ukraine.
Although the letter does not exist in the Russian alphabet, the symbol is quickly emerging as a way for Russians, following “a propaganda campaign”, to show support for invading Ukraine and rally around a new nationalism, an expert said.
Some defence experts say the markings are a way for Russian troops to avoid friendly fire by distinguishing their military equipment from Ukraine’s, which has similar-looking tanks, according to Task & Purpose, an American media outlet covering military issues.
The International Gymnastics Federation, known as FIG, denounced the “shocking behaviour” by Kuliak and pledged to ask its independent integrity unit to investigate.
“We can confirm that [FIG] has informed us that they will formally be seeking the opening of disciplinary proceedings against male artistic gymnast Ivan Kuliak,” the Gymnastics Ethics Foundation said on Tuesday AEDT.
The 20-year-old Kuliak was able to compete in Qatar because the exclusion of all gymnasts and officials from Russia and Belarus did not take effect until Monday. The Russian flag was already barred from his uniform by an earlier FIG decision.
Kuliak, a former national junior all-around champion who did not compete at the Tokyo Olympics, now faces a ban under the FIG disciplinary code. The code allows gymnasts to be punished for acts that “behave in an offensive way”, “damage the image of gymnastics” or “demonstrate anti-sport behaviour”.
AP, Washington Post
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