Russian Olympic gymnastics champion Nikita Nagornyy is one of 42 individuals added to the Canadian Government's updated sanctions list ©Getty Images

Russian Olympic gymnastics champion Nikita Nagornyy has been added to the Canadian Government’s updated sanctions list.

Nagornyy is one of 42 individuals and 21 legal entities added to the list with the Canadian Government website saying that the latest additions were "involved in or associated with the Kremlin-backed illegal and forcible mass transfer of Ukrainian minors, Russian disinformation and Russia’s nuclear sector."

Under the sanctions, individuals assets are frozen and they are prohibited from dealing with any person in Canada, or Canadian national living outside the country.

The release of the list coincided with a visit to Canada by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy with his Canadian counterpart Justin Trudeau reaffirming Canada’s support for Ukraine, while announcing new military, economic, peace and security, and development assistance and investments for Ukraine.

Nagornyy, who won team gold, and individual all-around and horizontal bar bronzes at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, representing the Russian Olympic Committee, responded with a post on his Telegram channel, calling on politicians to "leave the sport", as reported by TASS, Russia’s official state news agency.

Nagornyy used a Telegram post after the sanctions were issued to call on politicians to
Nagornyy used a Telegram post after the sanctions were issued to call on politicians to "leave sports and everyone who believes in sports unity" ©Getty Images

"Leave sports and everyone who believes in sports unity," Nagornyy wrote.

"And I’ll tell my people only one thing: don’t be fooled by provocations, we are above this, the truth is behind us."

Nagornyy is a three-time world champion, and won team silver during the Rio 2016 Olympics.

In April Nagornyy was elected as President of the All-Russian Federation of Physical Sports, while he is also the head of the main headquarters of the All-Russian children’s and youth movement Yunarmiya.

Last year Nagornyy marched in Russia’s Victory Day Parade in Moscow’s Red Square.

Nagornyy was also on a list of 55 Russian athletes sanctioned by the Ukrainian Parliament in December 2022, for showing support towards Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

In July, the International Gymnastics Federation announced that Russian and Belarusian athletes could compete in its events as individual neutrals, providing they successfully apply for the status in accordance with its Ad hoc rules.