Former Ukrainian national team gymnast Illia Kovtun has changed his sporting nationality, according to the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) website
Famous Ukrainian former gymnast Illia Kovtun has officially changed his sporting nationality to Croatian. This information was confirmed by the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) on its official website.
The decision for Kovtun to compete for the Croatian national team was made by the FIG Executive Committee during a meeting held on July 9-10, 2025, in Lausanne, Switzerland. According to the rules, Illia will be able to debut for the Croatian team only after one year, in July 2026.
In August 2024, Kovtun won his first Olympic medal as part of the Ukrainian team, and just six months later began the process of changing his sporting nationality. In April 2025, he officially confirmed his intention to compete for Croatia.
Illia Kovtun’s coach, Iryna Horbacheva, has repeatedly explained the reasons behind this move, emphasizing disagreements with the Ukrainian Gymnastics Federation. An important role in the athlete’s decision was played by the support of the Croatian federation, which Kovtun joined at the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine and where he started training.
Illia Kovtun’s Achievements with the Ukrainian National Team
At the junior level, Kovtun won a bronze medal in the individual all-around at the 2019 World Championships, as well as a silver medal in the team competition.
Making his debut for the senior Ukrainian team in 2021, Illia achieved significant success by winning a silver medal at the 2024 Olympics on the parallel bars.
Additionally, Kovtun is a two-time medalist at the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships: he earned silver in 2023 and bronze in 2021 in the individual all-around.
The athlete also holds seven European Championship medals, including three golds won in 2024: in the team competition, as well as on the parallel bars and horizontal bar.