Swimming chiefs react to Ukraine-born champ’s provocative Russian flag post
The International Swimming Federation (FINA) has said it is aware of a post made by European swimming champion Viktoria Gunes in which the Ukrainian 100m and 200m record holder showed a pair of feet standing on the Russian flag.
Russian record holder Vladislav Grinev and former junior champion Tatiana Belonogoff were among the stars to condemn Gunes, who was born in Ukraine and competes for Turkey, over the incendiary post.
Following the start of the attack on Ukraine, FINA had allowed Russian athletes to compete under neutral status before announcing last week that they would be barred from its competitions.
"FINA encourages all athletes to behave with dignity and respect," the governing body told RIA Novosti, falling short of taking disciplinary action against the winner of the 400m medley at the European Championships 2021 in Kazan.
FINA is currently following disciplinary proceedings against double Olympic champion Evgeny Rylov for a potential violation of rules over his attendance of a concert at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow last week where Russian President Vladimir Putin appeared.
Grinev and Belonogoff both warned that FINA would be displaying double standards if it failed to take action against Gunes after punishing Russian athletes.
"I think the whole point is that I am the world face of swimming and I have double demand," Rylov told Sport Express.
"If it wasn’t me on stage at Luzhniki but someone else from the [sport of swimming], you might not even pay attention.
"At the Olympics, I attracted increased attention – and now it is riveted to me in all aspects of life."
Gunes was born in the Ukrainian city of Poltava but became a Turkish citizen in 2014.
Rylov and his fellow athletes wore national team outfits emblazoned with the letter ‘Z’ while watching Putin address the stadium under the banner ‘For a World without Nazism’.
The letter has been seen on Russian military equipment during the conflict and has become a wider symbol of support for Russian forces.
FINA called for the case to be expedited when it announced its investigation of Rylov.
The Russian Swimming Federation has responded by announcing that it will "take over the protection of the interests" of Rylov in the case.
The federation has also stripped Kazan of the 2022 World Short-Course Championships, which had been scheduled to take place in the city in December.
