Russian gymnast Ivan Kuliak refuses to apologise for sporting the "Z" war symbol during the Artistic World Cup following the invasion of Ukraine.

Russian artistic gymnast Ivan Kuliak has refused to apologise for sporting a war symbol during competition following the invasion of Ukraine.

The 20-year-old took the bronze medal in the parallel bars at the World Cup Series in Doha and was pictured with a "Z" symbol - meaning "for victory" - on the podium.

Kuliak's actions sparked outrage as he stood alongside Ukrainian gold medallist Illia Kovtun, but the Russian has remained unrepentant and has insisted that he would wear the symbol again.

Speaking to Russia Today, Kuliak said: "If there was a second chance and I had a choice whether to go out with the letter 'Z' on my chest or not, I would do the same.

"I saw it on our military and looked at what this symbol means. It turned out to be 'for victory' and 'for peace'. I just wanted to show my position. As an athlete, I will always fight for victory and play for peace."

The International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) has opened an investigation into Kuliak's actions while also banning Russian and Belarusian athletes from competitions until further notice. body check tags ::

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