Russian double Olympic champion Evgeny Rylov has pulled out of this year’s swimming Fina World Championships in Budapest amid backlash over his support for Vladimir Putin, as Rylov claimed he was making the move in support of athletes banned from competing under the Russian flag following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Rylov, who won gold in the 100m and 200m backstroke events at last year’s Tokyo Olympics, lost his sponsorship deal with swimwear maker Speedo after attending a rally hosted by Russian president Vladimir Putin in Moscow last week with other athletes wearing a ‘Z’ symbol, which has become synonymous with support for Russia’s deadly invasion of Ukraine.
