Speedo Cancels Deal With Russian Olympic Gold Medallist for Role in Russia-Ukraine Crisis

The famous swimming brand, Speedo, canceled its sponsorship deal with Russian Olympic gold medalist, Evgeny Rylov. Reportedly, the Olympic gold medalist from Tokyo attended a rally in Russia amidst the ongoing European crisis. Hence, Speedo no longer went with Rylov and decided to cancel his contract.

After winning the 100 and 200-meter gold medals at the Tokyo Olympics 2020, Rylov was on top of the world. But, his latest act has seen him losing out on a major sponsorship deal with one of the biggest swimwear brands.

Russian Olympic gold medalist’s deal canceled

After being seen at the rally attended by Russian President Vladimir Putin, Speedo has cut ties with the Olympian. Notably, seven other athletes attended the rally, along with Rylov. The swimmer wore his Olympic gold medal at the rally and supported the movement.

Along with him, cross-country skier, Alexander Bolshunov and Olympic ice dancers Nikita Katsalapov and Victoria Sinitsina attended the event. Not to mention, Bolshunov won three gold medals at the recently concluded Beijing Winter Olympics 2022.

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Speedo acted quickly and wanted to cut ties with the backstroke specialist, Rylov. According to the Insider, Speedo released a statement stating their decision.

“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. 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,” mentioned Speedo.

Speedo turns to charity

Speedo will donate Rylov’s sponsorship money to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. Likewise, Insider also reported how FINA will investigate the matter on his attendance at the rally. The rising global tensions have forced many sporting bodies to ban Russian athletes from taking part in sporting competitions.

“FINA is deeply disappointed to note the reports regarding Evgeny Rylov’s appearance at the Luzhniki Stadium during Friday’s rally. We are investigating the matter further,” mentioned FINA.

Given the European crisis, the Olympic Committee and many other sporting organizations have taken strict action against many Russian athletes. What do you think of their decision to ban athletes in light of recent events?

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