Olga Korkach, head of the Latynina Sports School, defended Russian gymnast Ivan Kuliak who wore a pro-war symbol proudly on his chest at th...
Olga Korkach, head of the Latynina Sports School, defended Russian gymnast Ivan Kuliak who wore a pro-war symbol proudly on his chest at the 2022 Doha World Cup as he stood on a podium next to Ukrainian gymnast and gold medalist Illia Kovtun.
"Our athletes were constantly provoked. Some gymnasts from other countries spoke inappropriately about our country. Our guys responded that at competitions you need to think about sport, not politics," Korkach, who was in Doha, told ngregion.ru.
"Our athlete Ivan Kulyak performed very well - cleanly, very technically, in the final he got a higher scores than in qualifying. He put the letter Z on his uniform. He made this decision from his heart. He is a very sincere guy."
"He did not think about how the sports community would react to such an act. For him, the civic position is more important. This is the act of a real man. We are proud of him," she said in a statement that was translated by Solniskho.
"I express my deep gratitude for the support of the coach of the Russian national gymnastics team Valentina Rodionenko, who defended the Russian athletes like a shield."
"I am grateful for the leadership of the Kaluga region, who expressed their support for us. It is also valuable that our military, who are currently in Ukraine, know about Ivan's act. He inspires them. They thank the guy. We are not ashamed."
It has been announced that the Gymnastics Ethics Foundation (GEF) has formally opened proceedings against the Russian athlete.
The Legendary Olympic gymnast Larisa Latynina previously spoke out against the International Federation of Gymnastics' decision on banning Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials—including judges—from participating in competitions starting March 7 until further notice, in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
She stated that sports should never be mixed with politics and that Russian organizations should resolve the issue of appealing the decision.
It is worth mentioning that the former Soviet gymnast's hometown, Kherson, was the first major Ukrainian city to be seized by Russia since it launched its invasion.
The 87 year old retired gymnast has been living in Moscow for decades and has long favored promoting herself as Russian.
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