Rylov pulls out of world swimming championships in support of banned Russian athletes
Evgeny Rylov on Wednesday pulled out of this year's swimming world championships in Budapest in support of athletes banned from competing under the Russian flag following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Rylov, who won gold in the 100- and 200-metre backstroke events at last year's Tokyo Olympics, lost his sponsorship deal with swimwear maker Speedo after attending a rally hosted by Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow last week. "In support of Russian Paralympians, in support of all Russian athletes who have been removed from international competitions, I refuse to go to the world championship this summer," Rylov wrote on Instagram.
