After taking bronze in the World Cup competition in Doha, Russia tournament Ivan Kuliak (20) poses with a “Z” on his chest.
The letter was recently spotted on Russian military tanks and vehicles in Ukraine.
English newspaper Security wrote that the “Z” had become a symbol of support for the Russian invasion and warfare in Ukraine.
Exactly what “Z” stands for, however, is unclear. According to Moscow-based journalist Kamil Galeev, some interpreted it as “Za pobedy”. which means “to victory”, while others interpret it as “Zapad”, which means “west”.
Next to Kuliak on the podium is Illja Kovtun from Ukraine (18).
The International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) wrote that the incident would be investigated.
FIG confirmed they will open a disciplinary case against Ivan Kuliak following his shocking behavior at the World Cup in Doha, Qatar.
Previously, FIG had decided that all Russian and Belarusian practitioners would be banned from Monday 7 March. Therefore, the Doha summit is the last for Kuliak and Russia indefinitely.
Z: The letter can be seen on Russian tanks and other military vehicles. Photo: Alexander Ermochenko / Reuters / NTB
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It wasn’t just FIG that reacted to the incident. Ukrainian gymnast Oleg Vernyayev reaches out to Kuliak on social media.
– Excuse me, but don’t let Russia talk about politics should be kept away from sport, he wrote in a post on Instagram.
“Amateur analyst. Zombie geek. Hardcore troublemaker. Internet expert. Incurable twitter fanatic.”
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