Gymnastics prospect Ivan Kuliak has been banned from the sport for 12 months after wearing a pro-war 'Z' symbol next to a Ukrainian opponent.
Kuliak, 20 made the statement while collecting his bronze medal at the 2022 FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Cup series in Doha in March. He proudly displayed a Z symbol—a letter not in the Cyrillic alphabet—while stood alongside Ukraine 's Illia Kovtun, who had won the parallel bars event.
The protest led to outcry among gymnastics fans and the wider sports community, many of whom will be glad to see it hasn't gone unpunished. As well as being banned, Kuliak has been ordered to return his bronze medal, the prize money of 500 Swiss francs (around £400) and pay legal costs amounting to 2,000 Swiss francs (roughly £1600).
The one-year suspension prevents Kuliak from attending any FIG competition or events organised by an affiliated FIG member federation. It will come as a blow for the former Russian junior champion in his hopes to be involved at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Kuliak had taped the insignia to his chest after the Z symbol gained traction among pro-war activists. Russian military vehicles and personnel have been seen wearing the same logo, which is understood to be a reference point to help distinguish between different forces.
Another theory is the 'Z' stands for За победу (pronounced "za pobedu"), which means "for the victory." Others have suggested it stands for "zapad" (west, a reference to Russia's advancements into Ukraine and closer to the rest of mainland Europe.
Kuliak was unapologetic despite the general outcry following his protest in the Qatari capital: "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.
"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."
Kovtun, 18, will have been among the first to disagree with the assumption Russia's siege on Ukraine is in pursuit of peace. The United Nations reported last week there had been 3,381 Ukrainian civilian deaths as a result of the war, though human rights groups have warned the actual figure is thousands higher.
