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).
