Russian Olympic gold medallist Rylov loses Speedo deal after attending Putin's pro-war rally

Rylov, who clinched gold in 100 and 200 metres backstroke events at last year's Tokyo Olympics, was among eight athletes identified at the rally last Friday and sported the letter 'Z' on his outfit.

Days after Russian swimmer Evgeny Rylov appeared at a pro-Ukraine war rally hosted by President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, swimwear maker Speedo ended its sponsorship with the 2-time Olympic gold medallist.

Rylov, who clinched gold in 100 and 200 metres backstroke events at last year's Tokyo Olympics, was among eight athletes identified at the rally last Friday and sported the letter 'Z' on his outfit.

"Following his attendance at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow at the weekend, Speedo can confirm that it has terminated the sponsorship of Evgeny Rylov with immediate effect," a statement released by the swimwear brand read.

"We condemn the war in Ukraine in the strongest possible way and stand in solidarity with the people of Ukraine, our athletes and our teammates who have been impacted by the conflict," the statement added.

Speedo also said that it would donate any outstanding sponsorship fees to the UNHCR, helping Ukrainian refugees who have fled their country amidst the Russian invasion.

Meanwhile, the sport's world governing body FINA said in a statement carried by swimming website SwimSwam that it was "deeply disappointed" by Rylov's appearance at the rally and would investigate the matter.

The 'Z", a letter that does not exist in the Cyrillic Russian alphabet, has been seen daubed on Russian tanks and vehicles in Ukraine and has come to symbolise support for the invasion.

FINA has already cancelled this year's World Junior Swimming Championships set to take place in Kazan. It also withdrew the FINA Order awarded to Putin in 2014.

Earlier this month, Russian gymnast Ivan Kuliak had stirred a massive public outrage after sporting a pro-war 'Z' symbol on his shirt while sharing the podium with Ukrainian rival Illia Kovtun, the gold medallist at the Gymnastics World Cup event in Doha. Following this shocking behaviour, the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) announced that Kuliak would face disciplinary action for his behaviour. Read more