World Gymnastics Opens Investigation Into Russian Athlete’s Conduct At World Cup

Morinari Watanabe, president of World Gymnastics (formerly the International Gymnastics Federation) takes oath as member of the International Olympic Committee during the 133rd IOC sessions in Buenos Aires, on October 9, 2018. (Photo by JUAN MABROMATA / AFP via Getty Images) AFP via Getty Images The World Gymnastics federation has announced its review of the incident involving a Russian neutral athlete , Sofiia Ilteriakova, during an award ceremony at the Rhythmic Gymnastics World Cup in Bulgaria on March 30. Ilteriakova, an Authorized Individual Neutral (AIN) athlete from the Russian Federation, appeared to refuse to face the Ukrainian flag during the award ceremony for the Hoop event.

Ilteriakova claimed silver, while Ukrainian athlete Taisia Onofriichuk won gold. While Onofriichuk and bronze medalist Sofia Raffaeli (Italy) stood at attention, Ilteriakova was seen facing away from the flag as the Ukrainian anthem played. The Russian’s actions spurred swift reaction from the Ukrainian Gymnastics Federation (UGF), which called on World Gymnastics to act in a statement shared on Tuesday.

The Ukrainian Gymnastics Federation vowed to file an official complaint to the IOC’s Ethics Commission , demanding the following: To annul (Sofiia Ilteriakova’s) result at the Sofia World Cup To permanently deprive the athlete of the status of “neutral athlete,” since her actions directly contradict the admission criteria To strengthen the test for "neutrality", including not only the absence of direct ties to security forces, but also the obligation to fully respect the state symbols of all participating countries On Wednesday morning, the World Gymnastics shared its intent to review the “incident” in a public statement shared on the federation’s website. “The matter is currently under review and all relevant information is being carefully assessed. Any next steps will be considered in accordance with the applicable regulations and established procedures,” World Gymnastics shared.

The federation declined to comment further on the incident or review process. MORE FROM FORBES Ukraine ‘Demands Justice’ After Russian Gymnast Turns Back On Ukrainian Flag By Caroline Price IOC’s Ethics Commission’s Review Procedure Given the UGF’s intent to file a complaint to the IOC Ethics Commission, the federation is likely to use the IOC’s Integrity and Compliance Hotline . Per the IOC , the following complaint subject matter can be reported: Competition manipulation Abuse and harassment Infringements of IOC Code of Ethics and other integrity issues Press freedom violations The IOC hotline is open to the public, and made available to “anyone having information related to a plausible case of competition manipulation, integrity non-compliance, abuse or harassment or other integrity issue.