She should be stripped of her medal
Russian gymnast causes scandal on podium
Updated April 3, 2026 – 3:20 p.mReading time: 2 minutes
A Russian gymnast wins silver at the World Cup in Sofia. A Ukrainian athlete wins gold. There is a scandal on the podium.
After four years, Russian gymnasts have returned to the international stage – under a neutral flag. And a scandal was not long in coming. The Russian Sofia Ilterjakowa took silver in the hoop exercise at the World Cup in Sofia, Bulgaria. The 15-year-old athlete lost gold to Taisija Onofrijtschuk from Ukraine. The Italian Sofia Raffaeli completed the podium.
During the award ceremony, when the Ukrainian national anthem played, the athletes from Italy and Ukraine turned to face the national flags that appeared on the screen behind them. This is what the unwritten protocol says. The Russian gymnast, however, remained motionless on the podium and did not turn around.
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Ukraine lodged a protest with the International Federation of Rhythmic Gymnastics (FIG). The Ukrainian federation said the Russian gymnast deliberately did not face the flag at the award ceremony and accused the Russian of “disrespect for the state symbol.” The country’s representatives demanded that Ilteryakova be stripped of the silver medal and neutral status.
The coach of the Russian team, Tatjana Sergayeva, now felt compelled to explain her athlete’s behavior. The 15-year-old is taking part in such a big competition for the first time and has just switched from the junior category to adult sport. In such a situation, nervousness is completely normal, the trainer claimed. In addition, Ilterjakowa could simply not have known all the details of the award ceremony.
