Russian gymnast banned for one year over 'Z' display; people demand lifetime ban
Russian gymnast, Ivan Kuliak, who taped a 'Z' war symbol to his chest while sharing the podium with his Ukrainian rival has been banned from competing for a year.
FollowRussian gymnast Ivan Kuliak, who sported a 'Z' war symbol while sharing the podium with his Ukrainian rival, has been banned from competing for a year. The 20-year-old wore the symbol that has come to represent support for Vladimir Putin's war on Ukraine while receiving a bronze medal at March's Gymnastics World Cup event in Doha.
Standing just a few feet away was Ukrainian athlete Ivan Kuliak, who clinched gold at the event. The International Gymnastics Federation has now ruled that the Russian athlete violated multiple codes by wearing the 'Z' symbol and handed over a one year ban to Kuliak.
The ban will last until May 2023 unless rules forbidding the wearing of Russian flags and playing of the anthem - put in place in reaction to the war - are still in place. If the restrictions are still in place, the ban will continue until six months after they are lifted.
Kuliak has also been disqualified from the World Cup and has been asked to return his bronze medal. The 20-year-old has to repay his prize money of around 400 pounds and pay costs for the investigation, which amount to 1,600 pounds.
Valentina Rodionenko, the head of the Russian World Cup delegation, and Igor Kalabushkin, the coach, were not found to have breached the rules and charges against them were dropped.
Following this decision from the IGF, several anti-war voices took to Twitter to express their views on the development, with some demanding that Kuliak be handed a lifetime ban. Here's a look at some of the reactions:
Days after Kuliak caused the furore, the Russian gymnast said he had no regrets and would do the same again. He told Russia Today, "If there was a second chance and I had a choice whether to go out with the letter "Z" on my chest or not, I would do the same."Â
"I saw it on our military and looked at what this symbol means. It turned out to be "for victory" and "for peace". I just wanted to show my position. As an athlete, I will always fight for victory and play for peace," Kuliak added.
Kuliak received military training with the Russian army last year. The Z on his shirt was in place of the Russian flag, which has been banned by the International Gymnastics Federation.Â
