“Russian judokas will not take part in the Olympic Games in Paris” – Soloveichik

Russian judokas who received an invitation from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) will not compete in the Olympic Games in Paris, said Judo Federation President Sergei Soloveichik, whose comment was provided to Match TV by the organization’s press service.

Earlier on Friday, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) allowed four Russian judokas to participate in the Summer Olympics in Paris as neutrals. The list included Valery Endovitsky, Elis Startseva, Dali Liluashvili and Makhmadbek Makhmadbekov. In total, the Russian team had 12 quotas for participation in the Games – 7 men’s and 5 women’s.

— Of the seventeen judokas who have gained an Olympic rating, the IOC has allowed only four to participate in the Olympics. The remaining athletes are forced to stay at home. In this situation, the Presidium of the Russian Judo Federation has made a unanimous decision — the Russian national judo team will not accept humiliating conditions and will not compete in the Games in Paris in the composition proposed by officials from the International Olympic Committee, — said Soloveichik.

In February 2022, the IOC recommended that sports federations not allow Russians and Belarusians to participate in international tournaments. The recommendations were later relaxed, and in December 2023, IOC President Thomas Bach announced that the organization would allow Russian and Belarusian athletes who successfully passed the selection to participate in the 2024 Summer Games in individual neutral status. Athletes will be able to compete in Paris without a flag, anthem, or other national symbols.

The Games in Paris will be held from July 26 to August 11.