Russian gymnast Ivan Kuliak has been suspended by the Gymnastics Ethics Disciplinary Commission for apologizing for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine during the World Cup and at the awards ceremony. The athlete will have to return the bronze medal won and the award in the 5th, but the decision can be appealed.
Kuliak was suspended from any competition recognized by the International Gymnastics Federation. Russian athletes are banned from any competition until 17 May 2023. If this ban continues, the gymnast will be suspended for another six months after the general sentence. He will still have to pay a fine of 2,000 Euros (approximately R$10,400).
After winning the bronze medal at the World Cup, Kuliak drew the letter Z with tape on his uniform and took the podium with a sign next to gold medalist Ukrainian Ilia Kovtun.
The gymnast also stated in an interview that she would repeat the move. “Russia Today”: “If I had a second chance and had the option to go out with the letter ‘Z’ on my chest, I would do the same.”
The Russian Ministry of Defense issued a statement last week, saying that the Z painted on tanks would be a reference to the phrase “”.Za PobeduMeans “for victory” in Russian
source: Noticias
