Russian gymnast Ivan Kuliak has remained defiant after wearing a pro-war symbol amid his country's invasion of Ukraine.
The gymnast finished third in the parallel bars at a World Cup event in Doha on Saturday, with Ukraine's Illia Kovtun crowned the winner.
And upon receiving his bronze medal, Kuliak attached a letter 'Z' to his chest before standing alongside Kovtun on the podium, in an apparent act of solidarity with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The letter has been seen plastered on the sides of Russian tanks, and has come to be regarded as a sign of support for the country's declaration of war.
Kuliak's actions were labelled "shocking behaviour" by the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG), which immediately asked its Ethics Foundation to launch an investigation.
But Kuliak, who faces the prospect of a lengthy suspension, was unrepentant on Tuesday, telling Russia Today he would do the same if the chance arose again.
"If there was a second chance and I had a choice whether to go out with the letter 'Z' on my chest or not, I would do the same," he said.
"I saw it on our military and looked at what this symbol means. It turned out to be 'for victory' and 'for peace'. I just wanted to show my position. As an athlete, I will always fight for victory and play for peace."
Prior to the event in Doha, the FIG had announced that all Russian gymnasts and officials would be banned from international events from Monday, March 7 until further notice in line with global sporting sanctions against the country.
Kuliak's defiance has been widely viewed as a prime example of the extent to which the country's natives have been mislead, with any media sources deemed to be neutral or anti-war having been shutdown since the invasion began on February 24.
The Russian Government has also imposed restrictions on social media and internet access in a bid to prevent people accessing information on the conflict.
Furthermore, more than 4,300 citizens have been detained for voicing their opposition to the war.
Since the invasion began, Russia has been the subject of numerous sporting and political sanctions. On Sunday, members of the country's Winter Paralympics squad returned home to a heroes' welcome, having been banned from competing in China by the IPC.
