Mon, March 07, 2022

International Gymnastics Federation to investigate Russian gymnast for wearing pro war symbol on podium

To optimise for archiving, the original image and related documents associated with this article have been removed.

Russian gymnast Ivan Kuliak has been placed under investigation for wearing a ‘Z’ symbol linked to support for President Putin’s invasion of Ukraine on his leotard.

20-year-old stood on the podium next to Ukraine’s Illia Kovtun who won the gold at the Apparatus World Cup in Doha. Kuliak wore it in place of the Russian flag, which had been banned by the governing body of gymnastics.

The ‘Z’ letter has been seen daubed on Russian tanks and vehicles in Ukraine and has come to symbolise support for the invasion.

In a statement the International Gymnastic Federation (FIG) confirmed that it would “ask the Gymnastics Ethics Foundation to open disciplinary proceedings against Ivan Kuliak following his shocking behaviour in Qatar”.

It had already been decided that from Monday (7 March 2022) all Russian and Belarusian gymnasts will be banned from future competitions.

You may also like

View All
{title}

Read More

Wed, December 17, 2025

ATP to introduce new heat policy in 2026 following several mid-match retirements this season, aligning itself with the WTA

The ATP Tour will introduce a new heat policy starting from the 2026 season following the mid-match retirements of 7 players as a result of extremely high temperatures and humidity at the Shanghai Masters this season

Read More
{title}

Read More

Mon, December 15, 2025

Study by ParalympicsGB reveals how effective the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games was in encouraging disabled people to become more active

Following a poll conducted before and after the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, it has been revealed that the confidence levels of disabled people within sport and physical activity are the lowest, compared to in other areas of their life such as work and education, but that the Paralympic Games helped boost confidence

Read More
{title}

Read More

Fri, December 12, 2025

FIFPRO study finds playing-time gap between top and lower-ranked women’s teams is increasing injury risks on both sides

Research by FIFPRO, the International Federation of Professional Footballers, has drawn attention to a “two-tier ecosystem” within women’s football where top team players have overloaded schedules whereas those lower down the rankings are facing “underload,” which is increasing injury risks for both sides 

Read More