Russian karting champion Artem Severiukhin has broken his silence after appearing to display the Nazi salute on the podium at the European Karting Championships. Severiukhin proved victorious in the 11-15 race in Portugal but then shocked sports fans around the world during the podium presentation.
The 15-year-old beat his chest before opening the palm of his hand and stretching his arm out. The teenager has apologised for his "stupid" actions, but insisted he does not support Nazism.
After appearing to wipe tears away from his face, he said: “I would like to apologise for what happened yesterday at the European Karting Championship. Standing on the podium, I depicted a gesture that many perceived as a Nazi greeting. But that’s not true – I have never supported Nazism and consider it one of the most terrible crimes against humanity.”
