Some Olympians have lost their footing. The military responded to Kovtun's interview.

Football journalist and military serviceman of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Roman Bebekh commented on the interview of sports gymnast Illia Kovtun. The gymnast stated that Ukrainians were not happy about his Olympic award. Bebekh noted that Kovtun decided to change his citizenship to Croatian and is detached from the situation in Ukraine. The journalist also mentioned that the state created warm conditions for our Olympians to work.Illia Kovtun explained his decision to compete for Croatia and stated that he had many reasons for changing his citizenship. He felt a moral obligation to the people in Osijek who supported him more than Ukrainians. Vladislav Geraskevich also condemned Kovtun's change of citizenship and that of his coach, as they received support from the state budget. Kovtun and his coach submitted documents to obtain Croatian citizenship.Kovtun highlighted his sporting achievements, including a silver medal at the Olympics in Paris. He also placed fourth in the individual all-around final and had two fourth-place finishes. Kovtun also became the holder of bronze and silver medals at world championships in all-around. In 2021, he represented Ukraine at the Olympics in Tokyo.According to the publication 'Hlavkom', Kovtun and his coach received approximately 8.5 million hryvnias from the state budget of Ukraine. This amount is a payment for the prize places earned at international competitions.The change of citizenship by athletes and competing under the flag of another country is becoming an increasingly common phenomenon. Everyone has the right to choose the best conditions for their development and to achieve greater glory.