Belyavskiy, who won a men's team gymnastics gold medal in Japan representing the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC), expects Yekaterinburg 2023 to inspire many Russian children to take up sport.

"I understand how important holding the World University Games is for the city," Belyavskiy, who lives in Yekaterinburg, said.

"I was a participant of the Kazan Universiade myself and witnessed first-hand the kind of stimulus an event of this level gives the city’s development.

"The legacy left behind, such as new sporting and cultural centres, is extremely important.

"FISU World University Games are a big sporting celebration."

Belyavskiy is one of several Yekaterinburg 2023 ambassadors, as are Olympic artistic swimming gold medallist Angelika Timanina, Dakar Rally quad bike winner Sergei Karyakin and Maria Vadeeva, the captain of Russia's women's basketball team.

"Citizens and guests of Yekaterinburg will spectate competitions in many different sports and will, in turn, become interested in sports, will want their children to join sports clubs," Belyavskiy added.

"To be a Games ambassador, for me, is both prestigious and a great honour."

Belyavskiy also confirmed that his ROC team-mate at Tokyo 2020, Nikita Nagornyy, is interested in participating at Yekaterinburg 2023.

Nagornyy meets the criteria for the event as he will be 25 come Yekaterinburg 2023 and is an alumnus of the Smolensk State University of Sport.

Yekaterinburg 2023 is set to take place from August 8 to 19.

It is set to be the second time that Russia has hosted the event, following Kazan 2013, while Moscow also staged a Universiade in 1973 when it was part of the Soviet Union.

Nagornyy, as well as the team gold , won individual all-around and horizontal bar bronze medals at Tokyo 2020.