Sports

Ivan Kuliak, Russian Gymnast, Faces Ban For Pro-invasion Symbol On Podium

Ivan Kuliak taped the 'Z' symbol 바카라” seen on Russian tanks and military vehicles in Ukraine and embraced by supporters of the war 바카라” to his vest.

Ivan Kuliak is a former national junior all-around champion.
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Russian gymnast Ivan Kuliak is expected to be investigated after displaying a symbol on his uniform supporting the invasion of Ukraine. ()

Kuliak taped the 바카라œZ바카라 symbol 바카라” seen on Russian tanks and military vehicles in Ukraine and embraced by supporters of the war 바카라” to his vest for a medal ceremony at a World Cup event on Saturday in Doha, Qatar. He took bronze in parallel bars and stood next to a gold medalist from Ukraine.

The International Gymnastics Federation, known as FIG, denounced the 바카라œshocking behavior바카라 by Kuliak and pledged to ask its independent integrity unit to investigate.

바카라œWe can confirm that (FIG) has informed us that they will formally be seeking the opening of disciplinary proceedings against male artistic gymnast Ivan Kuliak,바카라 the Gymnastics Ethics Foundation said Monday.

The 20-year-old Kuliak was able to compete in Qatar because the exclusion of all gymnasts and officials from Russia and Belarus did not take effect until Monday. The Russian flag was already barred from his uniform by an earlier FIG decision.

Kuliak, a former national junior all-around champion who did not compete at the Tokyo Olympics, now faces a ban under the FIG disciplinary code. 

The code allows gymnasts to be punished for acts that "behave in an offensive way," 바카라œdamage the image of gymnastics바카라 or "demonstrate anti-sport behavior." 

The sport's ethics foundation was created in 2018 following the sex abuse scandal involving former USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar.

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