Russian gymnast Ivan Kuliak, widely criticized outside Russia for wearing a symbol in favor of his country's invasion of Ukraine on a podium alongside a Ukrainian athlete, says he would "do the exact same thing" given another chance, according to media reports. of Russian state communication.
The 20-year-old's behavior was condemned by the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) as "offensive" during a test at the Artistic Gymnastics World Cup held last weekend in Doha, Qatar.
Kuliak had the "Z" symbol plastered to his uniform as he stood alongside Ukrainian athlete Illia Kovtun on the podium.
Kovtun won gold and Kuliak bronze on the parallel bars on Saturday.
The letter "Z"