Olympic champ stripped of sponsorship over support of Vladimir Putin

A Russian swimmer has paid a heavy price for his support of the war against Ukraine after being sensationally dropped by sponsor, Speedo.

The iconic swimming brand cut ties with Russian Olympic gold medalist Evgeny Rylov after he was pictured attending a pro-war rally in Moscow.

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Rylov - who won golds in both the 100m and 200m backstroke at last year's Tokyo Games - was one of eight Russian athletes identified at the rally hosted by Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Luzhniki Stadium last week.

The 25-year-old swimmer appeared on stage wearing his Olympic medals and the "Z" symbol, which has become synonymous with support of Russia's war in Ukraine.

Speedo announced after the rally that it had cancelled its sponsorship deal with the Russian swimmer, effective immediately.

"Following his attendance at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow at the weekend, Speedo can confirm that it has terminated the sponsorship of Evgeny Rylov with immediate effect," Speedo said in a statement.

"We condemn the war in Ukraine in the strongest possible way and stand in solidarity with the people of Ukraine, our athletes and our team-mates who have been impacted by the conflict," it added.

Swimming's world governing body FINA also told Inside the Games that Rylov's attendance at the rally was under investigation, although it remains unclear what sanctions, if any, the swimmer may face.

"FINA is deeply disappointed to note the reports regarding Evgeny Rylov's appearance at the Luzhniki Stadium during Friday's rally," a spokesperson told the publication.

"We are investigating the matter further."

Russian athletes turn out for pro-war rally

Other prominent Russian athletes photographed at the rally included cross-country skier Alexander Bolshunov, who won three gold medals at the Beijing Games last month, and the Olympic ice dancers Nikita Katsalapov and Victoria Sinitsina.

President Putin ordered an invasion of Ukraine on February 24, citing the need for the "demilitarisation" and "de-Nazification" of the neighbouring country, whose president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, is Jewish.

In his speech at Friday's rally, Putin praised the "special operation" in Ukraine, saying Russia had "not had such unity for a long time."

He also repeated his unfounded claims that Ukraine was committing genocide against Russian-speaking people in its eastern Donbass region.

"This really was genocide," he said. "Stopping that was the goal of the special operation."

Russian actor Vladimir Mashkova also spoke at the rally, after which his daughter Masha, also an actor, went on CNN to criticise him.

"What's happening right now is just unthinkable," she said. "And the fact that so many Russian people, including my dad, believe that this violence is somehow justified — it breaks my heart."

with agencies

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