Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

World

Russian gymnast investigated for wearing pro-war symbol on podium next to Ukrainian

Russian gymnast Ivan Kuliak is being investigated after wearing a national war symbol on his leotard as he stood next to a Ukrainian rival on the podium in Qatar on Saturday.

The International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) said it had opened disciplinary proceedings against Kuliak for his “shocking behaviour” at the Apparatus World Cup in Doha.

After earning bronze in the parallel bars final, Kuliak taped a letter ‘Z’ on to his chest and took to the podium next to gold medal winner Illia Kovtun of Ukraine.

Advertisement

The letter Z has become symbolic with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and has been seen painted on the side of tanks and military vehicles, as well as being worn by pro-war politicians in Russia.

This weekend was the final opportunity for Russian and Belarusian gymnasts to compete after their countries were sanctioned by the FIG as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

From Monday, Russian and Belarusian athletes, officials and judges will not be allowed to take part in FIG competitions or FIG-sanctioned competitions.

You May Also Like

World

For many years we have seen how the Soft Power used by the Kremlin works exclusively through culture, exhibitions, musical groups presentations, etc. It...

United States

A child’s advice for coping with anxiety has gone viral after his mother shared it on Twitter. (Hint: It involves doughnuts, dinosaurs and Dolly...

United States

As health care workers prepare to enter the third year of the pandemic, we are experiencing disillusionment and burnout on an extraordinary scale. Many...

United States

In June a statistic floated across my desk that startled me. In 2020, the number of miles Americans drove fell 13 percent because of...

Copyright © 2021 - New York Globe