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Russian gymnast Ivan Kuliak banned one year for wearing pro-war 'Z' symbol

Russian artistic gymnast Ivan Kuliak was banned from competition for one year on Tuesday by the International Gymnastics Federation for displaying a pro-war letter "Z" during a competition in March.

The letter "Z" has been painted on Russian tanks and streets since the invasion of Ukraine began and has symbolized support for the war. Russian officials, including Vladimir Putin, continue to refer to the war as a "special military operation."

The 20-year-old Kuliak won the bronze medal in the parallel bars at the Apparatus World Cup in Doha, Qatar – where he displayed the letter on the medal podium on his leotard as he stood next to Ukrainian gold medalist Illia Kovtun.

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A man wearing a T-shirt with letter Z, which has become a symbol of the Russian military, carries a red banner, during the Immortal Regiment march at the Nevsky prospect, the central avenue of St. Petersburg, Russia, on May 9, 2022.
A man wearing a T-shirt with letter Z, which has become a symbol of the Russian military, carries a red banner, during the Immortal Regiment march at the Nevsky prospect, the central avenue of St. Petersburg, Russia, on May 9, 2022.

At the time, Kuliak was widely criticized by the IGF for his "shocking behavior" and poor form in sportsmanship. The IGF, which banned Russian and Belarusian athletes from competing in future events, at the time turned to the Gymnastics Ethics Foundation to determine disciplinary proceedings.

"Mr. Kuliak breached the FIG Statutes, the FIG Code of Discipline, the FIG Code of Ethics, the FIG Code of Conduct and the FIG Technical Regulations when he wore the letter 'Z' on his singlet," the IGF governing body said in a statement. "(Kuliak) is not allowed to participate in any FIG-sanctioned event or competition organized by an affiliated FIG member federation for one year as of the date of this decision.

"If the protective measures keeping Russian athletes from competing are still in place on May 17, 2023, the ban shall continue and expire six months after the removal of said measure."

Kuliak, who has 21 days to appeal the decision, has expressed no regrets about wearing the letter but claims the symbol stands for peace and not war. He also was stripped of his bronze medal and had to forfeit his prize money.

"I saw it with our military and looked at what this symbol means. It turned out (it means), 'for victory' and 'for peace'," Kuliak previously told reportrs. "I didn't wish anything bad on anyone, I just showed my position."

Contributing: Asha Gilbert.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Russian gymnast Ivan Kuliak banned year for wearing pro-war 'Z' symbol