Russian gymnast Ivan Kuliak wore the national ‘Z’ war symbol during a medal ceremony alongside Ukrainian athlete Illia Kovtun.
Kuliak, 20, won bronze on the parallel bars at the 2022 Doha World Cup, while Ukraine’s Kovtun ended up with the gold medal.
But during his routine and on the podium, Kuliak taped a white letter ‘Z’ on the front of his leotard.
The same symbol has been seen painted on Russian tanks and military vehicles following the invasion of Ukraine.
For the latest updates on the Russia-Ukraine war, visit our live blog: Russia-Ukraine live
The symbol is used to help Russia’s army identify its own vehicles, and it also represents the Russian phrase ‘for victory’.
In November last year, Kuliak received training with the Russian army.
After the ceremony, Ukrainian gymnast Oleg Verniaiev hit out at Kuliak over his choice to wear the symbol.
‘Of course, you will excuse me, but let the Russians not shout that sport is out of politics!’ Verniaiev posted on Instagram.
‘Congratulations to our guy, everything is in its place glory to Ukraine.’
Russia’s two-time Olympic gold medallist Svetlana Khorkina has also shown her support of Vladimir Putin’s decision to invade Ukraine.
On Saturday, she posted an image of the ‘Z’ symbol with the caption: ‘A campaign for those who are not ashamed to be Russian. Let’s spread it.’
Earlier this week, the International Gymnastics Federation announced that starting from Monday, all Russian and Belarusian gymnasts and officials are banned from international competitions indefinitely.
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