Russian wrestlers invited by IOC declined to compete at 2024 Paris Games

Russian wrestlers who received an invitation from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) have refused to compete in the 2024 Summer Games in Paris, the press service of the Russian Wrestling Federation reports.

In June, the IOC admitted 10 Russian wrestlers to the 2024 Games as neutrals: Nachyn Mongush, Shamil Mamedov, Arslan Bagayev, Abdulla Kurbanov, Alan Ostayev, Magomed Murtazaliev, Natalia Malysheva, Veronika Chumikova, Alina Kasabieva and Elizaveta Petlyakova. Chumikova later announced that she would not go to the Olympics due to health reasons.

— Russian wrestlers, under the conditions of sanctions pressure, unjustified restrictions, and total and strict checks for admission, managed to win 16 Olympic licenses out of 18 possible, despite the fact that many team leaders were not allowed to compete, including both talented young people and famous world leaders, winners of the Olympic Games.

In mid-June, the IOC published a “list of admitted athletes,” among which were only 10 Russian wrestlers, six of whom were far from being the leaders of the Russian team.

During the selection, in accordance with the rules of the Olympic Charter, the World Anti-Doping Agency, the charter of the United World Wrestling, which created all the conditions for selection based on sporting principles, we won the right to participate in the Olympic Games in a fair and uncompromising struggle.

But the International Olympic Committee became an obstacle on Abdulrashid Sadulaev’s path to the third Olympic summit, did not give Zaurbek Sidakov, Zaur Uguev, Musa Evloev and other wrestlers of the Russian national team the opportunity to compete, and the United World Wrestling lost its last chance that the Olympic Games are a competition of the strongest.

In connection with this, the executive committee of the Russian Wrestling Federation held an extended meeting with the coaching staff of the Russian national teams in freestyle, women’s and Greco-Roman wrestling and with athletes who received invitations to the Olympic Games, and came to a unanimous decision to refuse to participate in the Olympic Games, the Russian Wrestling Federation said in a statement.

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 an individual neutral status. Compliance with the selection criteria is confirmed by a special IOC commission.

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