Ukrainian wrestler Artur Kostyuk held a silent protest during the awards ceremony at the European U23 Championships in Serbia. The athlete, who won the bronze medal in the competition, turned away during the playing of the Russian anthem.
The Youth European Wrestling Championships are the first official start since 2021 where Russian athletes were allowed to compete using their national symbols — the flag and anthem. The return of Russian state symbols to the international arena comes amid the lifting of restrictions against athletes from these countries amid updated IOC recommendations.