The Russian Wrestling Federation announced on Saturday that its athletes will not participate in the upcoming Olympic Games in Paris.
The federation’s executive committee, coaches, and wrestlers unanimously decided to refuse the invitation extended by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), citing “unsportsmanlike selection” principles.
Initially barred from the Games due to Moscow’s military offensive in Ukraine, the IOC later permitted a limited number of Russian athletes to compete under a neutral flag, provided they met stringent conditions.
Despite passing the eligibility checks, ten wrestlers, including Nachin Mongush, Shamil Mamedov, and Veronika Chumikova, have chosen to boycott the Games in protest.
“We do not accept the unsportsmanlike selection principle that guided the International Olympic Committee when forming the list of eligible athletes, the purpose of which is to undermine the principle of unity of our team,” the federation stated.
The boycott comes in response to the exclusion of some of Russia’s leading wrestlers, such as two-time gold medalist Abdulrashid Sadulayev and 2023 world champion Zaurbek Sidakov.
Russian athletes hoping to compete in Paris must demonstrate they do not support Russia’s military actions and have no ties to the armed forces. Those who are admitted will compete under a neutral banner and will be excluded from team events and the opening ceremony.
The IOC had extended a total of 57 invitations to athletes from Russia and Belarus, with 30 accepting the invitations to compete as Individual Neutral Athletes.
