The International Gymnastics Federation said Russian gymnast Ivan Kulyak, who wore insignia related to his country’s military invasion of Ukraine, is facing disciplinary action for his “shocking” behavior.
Kulyak’s jersey showed a “Z” as he stood next to Ilya Kovtun of Ukraine, a gold medalist at the Doha Gymnastics World Cup.
🇬🇧 Russian gymnast Ivan Kulyak is under investigation after putting the national military symbol on a pedestal while standing next to a Ukrainian rival.
— Eurosport (@eurosport) March 7, 2022
The letter “Z” was seen on Russian tanks and vehicles in Ukraine and became a symbol of support for the invasion.
On Saturday, Kulyak won the bronze medal.
“The International Gymnastics Federation confirms that it will apply to the Gymnastics Ethics Foundation to initiate disciplinary proceedings against Ivan Kulyak following his shocking behavior at the World Equipment Championships in Doha, Qatar,” the ruling body said in a statement.
It has already been decided that from Monday all Russian and Belarusian gymnasts will be suspended from further competitions. The International Olympic Committee recommended the ban last week.
“We can confirm that (FIG) has informed us that they will be officially seeking disciplinary proceedings against rhythmic gymnast Ivan Kulyak,” the Gymnastics Ethics Foundation said on Monday.
Kulyak, 20, was able to compete in Qatar because the exclusion of all gymnasts and officials from Russia and Belarus only came into effect on Monday. The Russian flag had already been removed from his uniform by an earlier decision by the FIG.
Kulyak, a former national junior all-around champion who did not compete in the Tokyo Olympics, can now be disqualified under the FIG disciplinary code. The Code allows gymnasts to be penalized for acts that “behave offensively”, “damage the image of gymnastics” or “demonstrate anti-sporting behaviour”.
The Sports Ethics Foundation was created in 2018 following a sexual harassment scandal involving former U.S. Gymnastics Physician Larry Nassar.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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