The list of Russian athletes planning to take part in the 2024 Olympic Games in the capital of France is rapidly shrinking. Following the judokas, our wrestlers, who had 10 quotas, also withdrew from the competition.

For these guys, love for their home country was more important than performing abroad with almost guaranteed chances for medals. A worthy response to the International Olympic Committee, which no longer knows what it is doing.

From tennis and judo to wrestling

There are less than three weeks left until the start of the Games in Paris, but there is still no final clarity on the participation of Russians. A real soap opera has occurred regarding the admission of our tennis players. It would seem that there can be no claims against them, because most of them live and train outside of Russia. However, the IOC has managed to get to the tennis stars, denying the right to compete to some of our compatriots. As a result, not all of the strongest Russians will go to Paris, and some were even forced to refuse themselves.

Then there was the story with admission to judo, where top athletes from Russia were simply asked not to dream about a trip to the capital of France. The result was the refusal of the entire team to whom invitations were sent. Wrestling was actually the last discipline where fans could count on mass participation of Russian athletes. Until Saturday, there was a feeling that ours would still go to Paris, but the opposite decision was made.

— 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 (RSF) said in a statement.

Abdulrashid Sadulaev / Photo: © Wu Wei/Xinhua/Global Look Press

“Why go there like ragamuffins?”

The organization made it clear what was the reason for such actions. Initially, our guys managed to win 16 Olympic licenses out of 18 possible. And this despite the fact that some leaders were not even allowed to qualifying tournaments. The most striking example, of course, was two-time Olympic champion Abdulrashid Sadulayev, who was turned away at the airport without an adequate explanation of the reasons.

It got to the point that in mid-June the International Olympic Committee published a list of 10 Russian wrestlers with invitations, most of whom are not the leaders of the Russian team. Against this background, the reaction of the federation leaders is quite understandable.

— Yesterday was a difficult discussion, I didn’t want to completely get rid of the conviction that this bunch of scoundrels who now head the International Olympic Committee are destroying world sports. It doesn’t belong to them, world sports, they didn’t invent them. They are temporary workers and will remain in the memory of the world community as destroyers, — FSBR President Mikhail Mamiashvili told Match TV.

— They reduced the number of licenses to two, removed all the main athletes. What’s the point of going there? We fully support the decision of our federation, it’s fair. We have nothing to do at the Olympics without an anthem and a flag. Why go there like ragamuffins? — added the head coach of the Russian national Greco-Roman wrestling team, Gogi Koguashvili, in an interview with Match TV.

Mamiashvili then made a bold statement that the root of the evil should be sought in the IOC leadership. Admittedly, it is hard to disagree with him. It is not very clear why Thomas Bach and his friends staged a circus that ended with the main stars of Russian wrestling not being issued licenses. Although even those who were eventually sent invitations would certainly have been in contention for awards in Paris and would have won them in the end. And no one would blame them for this situation.

On the other hand, with their decision, the wrestlers and the federation showed true patriotism and made it clear to the officials of the International Olympic Committee what is a real priority for them in life.