The head of the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine (NOC) Vadim Gutzeit spoke sharply about the transfer of the vice-champion of the 2024 Olympic Games, gymnast Ilya Kovtun, to the flag of another country. They called his action a direct betrayal and accused the athlete of ingratitude.

The head of the organization recalled that Kovtun received all the necessary support from the state and sports structures, including funding and assistance at the Olympics. He emphasized that the gymnast and his team were provided with everything, even satisfying the request of the coaching staff for additional support at the Games.

“The last great butt is Illya Kovtun, who saved Ukraine... From the first days of the war, having gone to Croatia, Ukraine helped you in every way, except financially... Kovtun, having taken away the state from the city, paid for the “silver”. After all this, it seems like I didn’t feel any encouragement?

Having said it already, honestly,” Vadim Markovich is quoted as saying by “Left Bank”.

The NOC considers Kovtun’s words about the alleged lack of support to be especially cynical against the background of the war. They added that the athlete was a hero in Ukraine, but outside of it he risks losing respect and status.

Let us remind you that in January it became known that Ilya and his coach Irina Gorbacheva submitted documents to obtain Croatian citizenship. The athlete said that he faced a wave of criticism after this decision.